BY JHOANNA PAOLA BALLARAN SPECIAL TO THE MANILA TIMES
Do you feel pain on your feet after your first few steps in the morning? Do you feel like a knife pricking the bottom of your foot after standing up from a long period of sitting? Well, do not ignore it. You might be suffering from an inflammation of your vital foot muscle—your plantar fascia. Plantar fascia, what you often see on the arch at the bottom of your foot, is a string of muscle that connects your heel and toes. It is a thick muscle that functions as a shock absorber as well an arch support. It can be compared to a rubber band: As tension becomes greater, it will lose its elasticity and will suffer from tearing, thus will lead to a condition called plantar fasciitis.
Symptoms
“Pain is located usually at the forefront of the heel bone at the under surface of the foot sometimes extending to the midfoot’s undersurface,†said Dr. Noel Carilo, a consultant in Philippine Orthopedic Center and Saint Luke’s Medical Center Institute of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common heel pains that usually occurs on the first few steps in the morning. It gradually develops, and sometimes it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a sitting position. It feels like pins pricking the bottom of your foot, under the heel and usually on the inside.
Causes
According to Dr. Carilo, a medical practitioner for 27 years, plantar fasciitis is caused by constant stretching of the muscle, especially when a person carries heavy weights frequently. Increasing body weight and overuse of the feet in activities such as sports can also cause the condition.
“It can also be related to some rheumatologic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and elevated blood uric acid. Poorly designed footwear with hard soles can [also] aggravate this condition,†he told The Manila Times.
Runners, women and overweight people are more likely to develop this condition because of the weight applied on the muscle. Ballet and aerobics might also trigger plantar fasciitis at an early age since dancers and fitness buffs are exposed to extensive foot exercise. Faulty foot mechanics, like being flatfooted and abnormal pattern of walking, can also affect how the weight is distributed on the foot.
Jobs can highly affect this condition, too. People who stand for hours—like waiters, factory workers, sales ladies—are more prone to have plantar fasciitis. Using high heels, for women, can augment and stress the fascia.
Effects
“[Plantar fasciitis] can be disabling . . . with pain, some people cannot put weight on their foot and it disables them for some time. Many can walk in its presence but they walk with limp,†Dr. Carilo warned.
This condition can also trigger the development of other possible pains in the knee, foot, hip and back because of the change in the person’s walking pattern.
Better than cure
Though cliché, prevention is better than any other treatment. It is very important to modify our activities through sports and dancing. Giving ourselves enough rest and relaxation will help a lot. Losing weight and modifying your footwear into something that has cushion on the arch will also be very useful.
Some exercises, too, play a very big role in treating the condition. Exercises, such as hill climbing, that stretch the plantar fascia can temporarily relieve the pain. “Putting your forefoot over a 2-inch thick piece of object and leaning forward to stretch your plantar fascia,†Dr. Carilo advised.
“There are factors that play an important role in its cause that can be modified and cannot be modified. Those that cannot be modified will be your age, your foot anatomy and the plantar fascia as well. Modifiable factors such as body weight, activities, footwear, uric acid, etc., should be dealt with accordingly,†he said.
Taking care of yourself is the most important thing to remember. Lifestyle change and consciousness about your body will be practical. After all, it is the cheapest way to prevent every ailment.
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