Is your heel or bottom of foot causing you some seriously sharp pain when you first stand on it? And does that pain lessen the more you move around? This diminishing foot pain due to locomotion is an indication of plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is the tearing and inflammation of your plantar fascia caused by an inordinate amount of tension. Your plantar fascia is a thick tissue band that spans between the heel bone and toes on the under side of your foot. It’s one of the most common causes of stabbing heel or bottom of foot pain.
The sharp pain caused by plantar fasciitis usually develops slowly and typically only affects one heel or bottom of foot. Circumstances that make you more susceptible to this piercing discomfort are:
- diabetic
- pregnant
- overweight
- routinely run
- tight Achilles tendon
- spend long hours on feet
- flat-footed or high arches
- wear insufficiently supported shoes
Aging puts you at a greater risk for this pain sharpness because the elasticity of your fascia declines, so goes its ability to stretch as easily.
Because you’ll likely adjust your posture with each step to compensate for plantar fasciitis caused pain, leaving this health condition untreated for an extended period could cause complication of foot, knee, hip or back problems.
Initial treatment for pain in the heel or under side of the foot caused by plantar fasciitis includes:
- lose weight
- forgo wearing high heels
- replace inadequate footwear
- stop running or walking until sharp pain subsides
- only wear shoes with good arch support & shock absorbent
- insert inexpensive arch supports to take tension off & help absorb shock
- apply ice for 15 minutes three times daily, especially after being on your feet
- take OTC pain reliever & anti-inflammatory ~ aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen, ibuprofen
It may take several months for the sharp pain to go away altogether. Should your efforts at treating plantar fasciitis yourself fail, then you may require more intensive forms of treatment via your health care provider. Some of these options involve:
- orthodics
- night splints
- cortisone injections
- wearing a cast boot, short leg cast
Rarely is surgery necessary to release a tight fascia.