Table of Contents
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition caused by irritation of your plantar fascia. This crucial structure originates from the medial side of your heel’s calcaneal tuberosity and runs to your toes. It is an extremely painful condition with which you can not walk normally because of extreme pain under the foot. This inflammation can occur due to overuse of the fascia or some inflammatory conditions. This inflammation makes your walk painful.
Physiology of the plantar fascia:
This vital tissue connects the bones of your foot, forming the arch that ensures proper biomechanics. The functions of plantar fascia include:
Maintaining Normal Biomechanics:
The plantar fascia plays a critical role in the mechanics of your foot by facilitating smooth movement. It helps distribute your body weight evenly across your foot, enabling you to walk, run, and perform daily activities without discomfort or strain.
Providing Constant Arch Support:
It connects the bones of your foot and forms an arch that offers continuous support and prevents collapse. This arch provides balance and stability during walking and ringing activities.
Acting as a Shock Absorber:
It is a thick rubber-like band that absorbs pressure and reduces the stress on your feet. This cushioning effect protects your feet from injuries and strains, making walking and engaging in physical activities easier.
How Common is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is the most prevalent condition found in many clinical settings nowadays. It can affect all types of feet, including high and low arches (flat feet). In the United States, about 1 million people are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis each year, and 1 in 10 people will experience it at some point in their lives. Women are more commonly affected than men because they use flat and heel shoes that make them more prone to this disease. The age of onset is between 25-60 years of age. The condition is prevalent among individuals who frequently walk or stand on hard surfaces.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?
The symptoms of plantar fasciitis vary depending on the underlying cause. Most of the time, patients present with pain in the morning after stepping out from the bed. However, the most common symptoms include:
- Sharp, stabbing or dull pain in the heel can be radicular or non-radicular. It is the most common sign of plantar fasciitis.
- Pain worsens over performing physical activities
- Swelling of the feet
- Tenderness of the affected area
- Walking difficulty due to stiffness of Achilles tendon
What are the Causes of Plantar Fasciitis?
Several factors can irritate the plantar fascia. These include:
- Overuse of the foot or putting too much stress on the foot
- Walking or standing on hard places
- Wearing shoes with no arch (flat shoes)
- Abnormal foot structure
Dr. Mikel H-G Hoff states that blood circulation to the leg and feet is essential because it keeps ligaments and muscles healthy by providing oxygen and nutrients. When inflammation occurs, the normal blood supply to the leg is compromised, resulting in inflammation of the plantar fascia.
Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis:
Some factors make you more prone to have plantar fasciitis. These factors include:
Obesity:
Carrying excess weight puts additional stress on your plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot. This increased pressure can lead to inflammation and discomfort, making obesity a significant risk factor for plantar fasciitis.
Age:
As you age, your plantar fascia loses some elasticity, becoming more susceptible to wear and tear. Individuals between the ages of 40 and 60 are particularly prone to developing plantar fasciitis due to these age-related changes.
Occupation:
Jobs that require prolonged standing or walking, especially on hard surfaces, can significantly put strain on your plantar fascia. Occupations such as teaching, retail, and factory work can increase your risk of developing plantar fasciitis due to the constant pressure on your feet.
Foot Shape:
Dr. Mike H-G Hoff states that your foot’s structure can be crucial. Flat feet or high arches can alter how weight is distributed across your feet, adding stress to the plantar fascia. This imbalance can result in inflammation and pain, making foot shape a key risk factor for plantar fasciitis.
Management of Plantar Fasciitis with ANF Therapy®️:
Diagnosing plantar fasciitis remains challenging because it can be untreated for an extended period. Your ANF Therapist diagnoses this condition by taking a history, performing a physical examination, and conducting a neurological examination.
Medical History:
Your ANF Therapist will ask some questions regarding your disease. These include:
- Your age
- Your weight
- Onset and duration of the pain
- The intensity of the pain
- Does this pain affect your activity?
- Occupation history
- History of previous medical treatments
Neuro Physical examination:
During a neurophysical examination, your ANF Therapist will thoroughly examine you. It is essential to check the knee joint and down to the foot to assess the problem. This examination includes:
1-Inspection
They will inspect swelling, redness, or abnormal foot posture.
2-Palpation:
They will gently press on your plantar fascia, particularly when it attaches to the heel bone, to check for tenderness.
3-Range of Motion:
To look for the range of motion in the ankle and toes, looking for any limitations or pain.
4-Gait Analysis
In this examination, they will observe your walking pattern to identify abnormalities or compensatory movements.
5-Windlass Test:
In this test, the ANF Therapist will ask you to stand on your toe or to dorsiflex your big. If this movement causes pain in your heel, then a windlass test is positive.
6-Strength Testing
Evaluate the strength of the muscles in the foot and ankle to rule out other potential causes of heel pain.
Treatment of plantar fasciitis with ANF Therapy®️:
The treatment of plantar fasciitis includes the application of ANF Devices to address inflammation, particularly in the lower limb. ANF Devices for planter fascitis include:
Anti-inflammatory devices:
Anti-inflammatory devices are applied to your lower limb to remove the inflammation. The positive inflammatory device is placed on the calcaneus, and the negative inflammatory device is placed behind the toes and foot.
These devices aim to remove inflammation and recover normal blood circulation in your foot and calf muscles because these muscles act as a pump for the lower limb.
Antioxidant devices:
Antioxidant devices such as carnosine and glutathione are also placed along with anti-inflammatory devices. These devices aim to remove harmful free radicals from your body.
Moreover, blood flow and nitric oxide Devices are also helpful in improving symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Your ANF Therapist will create a personalized protocol for you according to your symptoms.
Expected outcomes:
Follow-up:
Start your journey with ANF Therapy®️:
How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis?
You can prevent yourself from having plantar fasciitis by just not overusing your foot. It includes:
- Properly stretch your muscles before and after the exercise
- Rest your feet to allow healing
- Wear shoes that support your feet
- Avoid walking barefoot on hard surfaces
What are the Complications of Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is an extremely painful condition. It can cause complications if it remains unaddressed for an extended period. These include:
- Rupture of plantar fascia followed by steroid injection therapy
- Flattening of the arch
- Fat pad necrosis
- Gait problems
FAQs:
What is the difference between plantar fasciitis and heel spur?
The clinical presentation of the plantar fasciitis and heel spur is the same but has different underlying causes. A heel spur is a calcium deposit in your bone or overgrowth of your bone that causes inflammation in the surroundings, causing pain in your heel. At the same time, plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the ligament. There are no bony growth formations in plantar fasciitis.
Can I walk with plantar fasciitis?
Can uric acid cause heel pain?
Yes, uric acid can be a primary cause of heel pain. High uric acid levels can form crystals in your joints, causing inflammation and significant discomfort, including in the heel. This condition, known as gout, often results in sharp, intense pain.
Can ANF Therapy®️ treat plantar fasciitis?
About ANF Therapy®️
ANF Therapy®️ uses circular ANF Devices, which are applied directly on the skin after palpation and assessment by a trained ANF Therapist following the ANF Therapy®️ Method, Patented Model no. U202030252, ES1259974.
The ANF Therapy®️ purpose is the alleviation of injury and pain within minutes.
Our aim is that the patient experiences a reduction of pain and swelling, an increase in range of motion, and an improvement in quality of life related to health. Non-transdermal, non-invasive device, NO needles or chemicals are used.
Do you need help with your health issues? Have you been experiencing symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?
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