Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common injuries in the runner. It is a band of tissue that runs from the calcaneus to under the fingers. It is known as plantar fasciitis. This usually is inflamed in the area where the fascia is inserted with the calcaneus. The fascia maintains the plantar arch, absorbing and returning the energy produced when the foot touches the ground.
I have contacted some podiatrists in Palma de Mallorca to tell me how to prevent it and, in turn, how to treat it.
They tell me that their main symptom is based on pain in the inner area of the heel, which is usually more intense in the first steps we take when we get up, reducing the pain as we walk because the fascia stretches and causes the pain is more bearable.
In the case of runners, their initial phases are based on pain that appears in the morning and after playing sports. In its initial phase, we must begin to take measures because if it cannot be sharpened, it limits us a lot both in sport and in our day-to-day lives.
There is a difference between fasciitis and calcaneal spur. When radiological tests were carried out, a calcification of the postero-internal tubercle of the calcaneus was observed. In contrast, in fasciitis, this calcification would not appear. As for the symptoms and their treatment are very even. In both cases, the objective of the treatment is to relax the fascia so that the inflammation and, in turn, the pain decrease.
To solve plantar fasciitis, its most significant difficulty is that we often focus more on the symptoms than on the true cause of the problem. The cause of pain is due to inflammation, and it is possible to treat it in many ways, but the most important thing is that it is understood that the objective is to reduce the tension that is generated in the fascia. In most cases, the increased stress generated in the plantar fascia may be due to the shape of the foot or the way it is stepped, or why not, both together.
Suppose you only focus on treating the acute phase of fasciitis by decreasing the inflammation of the fascia insertion. In that case, the person will improve but will almost certainly worsen again when they return to their usual physical activity. For its treatment, anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy treatments should be used to reduce inflammation; Likewise, a gait study should be carried out to assess whether it occurs due to the patient’s way of stepping.
If so, it will be necessary to acquire a personalized template that allows the fascia to loosen. The patient must adopt correct habits in terms of stretching and what type of footwear should be used both in sports and on a day-to-day basis.
Once the acute phase is over, the patient must adopt correct habits about stretching and footwear that must be used both for normal life and for sports activity since both factors will also be determining in which we find the definitive solution to the template.
It is worth mentioning that the way you step is undoubtedly one of the main causes when suffering from plantar fasciitis. Cavus feet and valgus feet are the types of feet that usually suffer from them.
