Have you got a painful foot?

I seem to have been stalked by a particular medical condition all week, from people at the gym to clients on the couch, it's been crazy how many people have been suffering (and i don't use the word lightly as I've had it too and it's agonising) with Plantar Fasciitis.  I thought someone somewhere must be telling me something so I think it's prudent of me to reacquaint myself and you  with this painful condition.

Most cases of heel pain are caused when a band of tissue in the foot, known as the plantar fascia, becomes damaged and thickens.
Plantar fasciitis is the medical term for the thickening of the plantar fascia which is a tough and flexible band of tissue that runs under the sole of the foot. It connects the heel bone with the bones of the foot, and acts as a kind of shock absorber to the foot.
Sudden damage, or damage that occurs over many months or years, can cause tiny tears (microtears) to develop inside the tissue of the plantar fascia. This can cause the plantar fascia to thicken, resulting in heel pain.
The surrounding tissue and the heel bone can also sometimes become inflamed.

There is little that your gp can do unless there is a tingling or numbness in the foot, you're running a high temperature and if the the foot is stiff or swollen, these all point to some other condition that needs treatment.
There are a number of treatments that can help relieve heel pain and speed up your recovery. These include:

• resting your heel – avoiding walking long distances and standing for long periods
• regular stretching – stretching your calf muscles and plantar fascia
• pain relief – using an icepack on the affected heel and taking paracetamol
• wearing well fitted shoes that support and cushion your feet
• using supportive devices – (rigid supports that are put inside the shoe) or strapping

Although not much comfort, PF normally clears up of it's own accord, from a few weeks to a few months.  If you'd like to receive a sheet with some key FP stretching exercises then email me and I can send one out to you.

Til next week

MB