Heel Pain Due To Plantar Fascia

A group of tissues that starts at the heel and goes till the foot is termed as plantar fascia. It is attached to the balls of the foot. It forms an arch between the heel and the foot.

A layer of fat prevents this from getting injured while walking. It has great elasticity. Damage to this is the main cause of heel pain.

Causes

As the age grows the elasticity gets reduced from like a rubber band to that like a rope. Also the layer of fat becomes thin and this area gets affected very easily by any shock of walking or injury. So tear, swelling and bruises become very often.

There could be some other factors like overweight, diabetes, standing for too long, flat footed persons which are some other causes of problem in plantar fascia.

Symptoms

Plantar fascia and heel spurs are mainly confused. In plantar fascia there is pain in the heels mainly at the lower side. Pain increases on pressing the heel. In the morning as the fascia becomes stiff it becomes difficult to walk for few minutes and later on everything goes fine. Walking, long standing and other such activities make the pain worse throughout the day.

Management

The very first thing you need to change is your overweight. Most probably you would be overweight if you have this problem. Also take rest whenever there is pain. Put ice in some plastic bag and apply on the heels. Do this 3 to 4 times in a day. This would help to reduce the pain.

Stretching exercises are very helpful in this condition. Wear appropriate shoes whenever you go for walk or any sport activity.

Garlic, turmeric and ginger should be included in the diet as they have anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce the inflammation. Some nutritional deficiencies can also be the cause. So take a diet rich in vitamins and proteins.

If you do not rectify this problem timely, you can get more associated problems like knee pain, leg pain etc.