Normally, heel pain or pain in the arch of your foot is due to a condition called plantar fasciitis or heel spurs. The condition is brought on by an inflammation in the fascia or tissue under the bottom of your foot. The inflammation causes micro-tears in the tissue, which bleed and become painful.
This pain is often worse after sitting or when waking up in the morning. Any weight-bearing activities can provoke it and if left long enough the condition will restrict activity. The longer plantar fasciitis is ignored, the longer the treatment that is required, with the attendant time and cost involved.
Two main factors affect plantar fasciitis or heel spurs. The first is the way in which a person walks, in other words the alignment of his or her foot. Foot posture that is out of alignment causes the body to compensate. This compensation leads to extra stress on the soft tissues of the foot, causing small tears and bleeding.
The second factor is tight muscles and in particular, tight calves. Calves stretch past the back of the heel and attach underneath it alongside the plantar fascia, which is attached in the same area. This join means that tight calves place increased tension on the plantar fascia and around the heel spur.
WHY TREAT THIS PROBLEM?
Plantar fasciitis or heel spurs can cause debilitating pain. The longer this pain is ignored, the harder it is to treat and the area will take longer to heal. Plantar fasciitis does not heal itself and it’s important that the underlying cause is treated so that it doesn’t recur.
