Plantar fasciitis isn’t a medical emergency, but it can be quite painful. As the two million people who are treated for plantar fasciitis each year in the United States can tell you, avoiding the problem in the first place is the best way to manage the condition.
If you want your first steps in the morning to be pain-free, the team of foot health experts here at Neuhaus Foot and Ankle, with 10 locations across Tennessee, recommend several solutions for plantar fasciitis, and orthotics head the list.
Along the soles of each of your feet, there is a band of tissue called the plantar fascia — a thin ligament that connects the front of your foot to your heel, providing support for your arches.
When you develop plantar fasciitis, the tissue becomes inflamed and tight, especially after long periods of inactivity, such as when you sleep. That is why the hallmark of plantar fasciitis is searing pain along the bottoms of your feet and in your heels when you take your first steps in the morning.
Granted, the pain typically subsides quickly as your plantar fascia stretches out again, but starting your day with that type of pain isn’t ideal.
To keep plantar fasciitis from developing, it’s helpful to understand the factors that may place you at risk. These include:
Some of these risk factors can be remedied, such as stretching your calf muscles, easing into a new activity, or losing weight. Others, however, are more difficult, such as high arches. As well, if you’re a daily runner or walker who relies on the activity for mental and physical health and wellness, giving up the practice might not be the best solution.
A great way to counter plantar fasciitis is to provide your plantar fascia with a little extra support. We offer two types of shoe inserts — custom orthotics and Powerstep® insoles. As the name implies, custom orthotics are custom manufactured to your feet and your issues, while Powerstep offers a more universal and economical approach to preventing plantar fasciitis.
Both offer more support for the ligament on the sole of your foot, which can help relieve the pressure causing the inflammation in the tissue.
If you enjoy an active lifestyle, we recommend considering custom orthotics, as we can tailor these inserts to not only match your feet exactly, but we can design them in a way that takes your activity into account. As a result, we can prevent plantar fasciitis and other foot problems from developing due to your higher activity level.
If you’d like to put an end to plantar fasciitis pain through orthotics, contact one of our offices in Hermitage, Brentwood, Nashville, Mount Juliet, Waverly, Smyrna, Gallatin, Columbia, Pulaski, or Lebanon, Tennessee, to set up an appointment.
