Plantar Fasciitis: Understanding the Triggers and Treatment Options

Plantar fasciitis is a frustrating, degenerative condition that causes foot and heel pain, particularly in the morning. And because it can take several months to heal, it becomes a real nuisance when it flares up regularly.

Understanding plantar fasciitis triggers is one way to prevent this condition from limiting your day-to-day activities.

Plantar Fasciitis: General Risk Factors

Before we get into the triggers, let’s look at some factors that could potentially make you more prone to developing this condition:

• Your age. If you’re currently over 40, there’s a much greater chance of developing plantar fasciitis.
• Foot structure and placement. If you have flat feet, an overly high arch, or the way you walk doesn’t distribute your weight evenly, it can make you more susceptible to this condition.
• Your job. If your job requires you to be on your feet for most of the day, it increases your chances of developing plantar fasciitis.
• Weight. Lastly, if you are overweight or obese, this extra stress on your feet can make this condition more likely.

Common Plantar Fasciitis Triggers

Now that you know whether you might be at greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis, let’s look at what might trigger it.

• Exercise intensity. Even if you’re already fit and active, changing the intensity of your activities can trigger this condition. This is because you’re placing additional strain on your lower limbs and feet, which your body needs time to get used to. So, if you’re planning to up the ante, it’s best to start slowly.
• Stating new activities. Moving your body is always a good idea, but if you’ve recently started a new type of exercise or physical activity and are experiencing pain, it could be plantar fasciitis. Again, starting slowly with something new is always the best approach, particularly after 40.
• New footwear. Shoes that don’t provide your feet with the support they need can cause pain. This is because a lack of support places more strain on the plantar fasciitis ligament. Overall, you should never have to break shoes in – they should be comfortable from the start. The same can be said for old shoes. If you’re constantly walking around in older shoes that don’t provide your feet with enough support, it can have the same effect.
• Tight calf muscles. If you exercise regularly, stretching should be an integral part of your routine. Tight calves in particular are one of the leading triggers of plantar fasciitis and it’s because they’re connected to the tendons and ligaments in your feet.
• Injuries. Injuring your ankle, leg, or foot through sport, tripping, or direct impact to the area can also cause a flare-up of this condition. If you do injure yourself, it’s essential to treat it correctly as soon as possible.

How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis and Reduce Pain Sooner

Once you start struggling with this condition, it helps to find a treatment that works for you. What works for one person may not work as well for another. Here are some of the options:

• See a physical therapist. A professional physio can help you stretch out your plantar fasciitis ligament, your calves, and your Achilles tendons to relieve pain and discomfort. A physio can also provide you with stretching exercises that you can do daily to prevent future flare-ups.
• Try shock wave therapy. Another non-surgical option is shock wave therapy, which uses sound waves to stimulate healing in this area.
• Splints and shoe support. Wearing splints at night to stretch the calves as well as the arches of the feet is another common treatment option for this condition. A podiatrist can also provide you with custom supports for your shoes, which distribute the pressure in your feet more evenly.
• Apply a cream. For those wanting immediate relief from symptoms, there is the option of applying a cream such as Plantacare from Vita Sciences. This cream contains essential vitamins and nutrients that penetrate deeply, helping relieve pain. Applying a cold compress to the area can also provide quicker relief.
• Change up your diet. If you feel that your weight might be the main cause of your foot and heel discomfort, changing your diet could be a good long-term solution. Overall, though, simply increasing your intake of vitamin C, zinc, and fish oil can assist with tissue repair, reducing the chance of a flare-up.
• Surgey. Plantar fasciitis pain that lasts long than 6-12 months might require surgical intervention. There are a few different approaches that your surgeon can take, including lengthening the calf muscles and releasing the plantar fasciitis tendon.

It should be noted that even with the above treatments, plantar fasciitis can take up to 18 months to disappear. Implementing ongoing preventative measures is also essential if you want to stop it from coming back, but once you focus on stretching and nutrition over the long term, prevention becomes a lot easier.