The sole of the foot is important — have you ever wondered why it hurts? If walking starts to become painful and the soles of your feet are the problem, you should take the time to find out what is causing it.
Plantar Fasciitis
Of course not always, but in many cases, the pain in the sole of the foot can be due to complications with the plantar fascia. This is a thick band of tissue that connects the calcaneus bone (heel) to the toes, creating the tension that forms the arch of the foot. The early inflammation of this tissue is called plantar fasciitis, or simply fasciitis. If the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, it can cause a sharp pain in the sole of the foot. Typically, the highest level of pain occurs in the morning with the first steps or after exercise. Ironically, the pain is not as sharp during physical activity but appears during the "cool down" afterwards.
Risk Factors
While plantar fasciitis can occur without an obvious cause, some factors that may increase the risk include:
- Age: Plantar fasciitis is more common between ages 40 and 60.
- Certain types of exercise: Activities that put a lot of stress on the heel and attached tissues (such as long-distance running, jumping activities, ballet, and aerobic dance) may contribute to early onset plantar fasciitis.
- Foot anatomy: Flat feet, high arches, or abnormal walking patterns can affect how weight is distributed when standing and may overload the plantar fascia.
- Obesity: Excess weight puts additional stress on the plantar fascia.
- Jobs that require standing: Factory workers, teachers, and others who stand or walk on hard surfaces for most of their workday may suffer plantar fascia damage.
Complications
Ignoring plantar fasciitis can cause chronic heel pain that interferes with daily activities. Changing the way you walk to relieve pain can cause problems in the foot, knee, hip, or back.
Treatments
- Warm-up: Perform warm-up and specific stretches for the sole of the foot before physical activity (running, jumping, etc.).
- Footwear: Choosing the right footwear is also important for preventing plantar fasciitis. Shoes should be comfortable, provide proper arch support, and have good cushioning for impact.
- Cryotherapy: In the first days, ice can be applied to the painful area 3 to 4 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes.
- NSAIDs and analgesics: Taking ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or similar medications can help relieve pain.
- Ultrasound therapy: This treatment can be applied in the post-acute phase, 48 hours after the onset of acute pain.
- Massages: Massaging the affected area helps reduce swelling and muscle spasms.
- Special insoles: Using shock-absorbing, offloading, or custom insoles can help reduce pain, especially during the acute phase.
If the above techniques do not yield satisfactory results, foot surgery may be considered as a treatment for plantar fasciitis, although it carries some significant risks and surgery does not always fully resolve the problem.
Who is More Prone?
Plantar fasciitis is very common between ages 40 and 60 due to wear and tear. Sports and activities that generate excessive heel stress can also lead to fasciitis, such as long-distance running, jumping activities, ballet, and aerobic dance.
It is essential to pay attention to plantar fasciitis and start treatment immediately to relieve symptoms and eliminate the cause of inflammation before it worsens and causes chronic heel pain that further impairs mobility.
Causes
The tissue that forms the plantar fascia is generally affected if foot anatomy presents issues such as flat feet or high arches due to overexposure of the tissue to the surface we step on (flat feet) or increased tension (high arches). Even if you have a regular foot arch but frequently run or walk downhill or on uneven surfaces, you are prone to fasciitis due to the overload on the tissue.
Weight gain also contributes to plantar fascia wear. Excessive tension on the Achilles tendon also plays a role. Wearing shoes with poor arch support or very soft soles can accelerate tissue wear and cause inflammation of the fascia, leading to the sharp pain known as fasciitis.
Insoles
For plantar fasciitis, using special orthopedic insoles that cushion the step and reduce tension on the plantar fascia is recommended once the acute phase has passed. This helps prevent tissue relapse and the return of chronic pain.
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