However, Plantar Fasciitis does not have to put an end to your running career Plantar Fasciitis is an injury that can cause intense heel pain for runners, but it does not have to end your running career. An ankle sprain can severely impact your life, preventing you from running and participating in other activities.
If you are a runner, you are more likely to get plantar fasciitis than other people. It is recommended that runners learn more about this injury even if they are not currently suffering from it. This article will teach you about Plantar Fasciitis, its symptoms, and causes.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the plantar fascia, a band of tissue in the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes, becomes inflamed.
Achilles tendinitis, an inflammation of the large tendon at the back of the ankle, is a common cause of heel pain. If you have plantar fasciitis, you will likely feel a stabbing pain in your foot when you first wake up in the morning.
The pain usually goes away after you start moving around, but it may come back after you’ve been standing or sitting for a long time.
This is something that a lot of runners go through, especially those that run long distances. If you do a lot of running, you’re more likely to experience plantar fasciitis.
What are the symptoms of this injury?
Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis
Not sure if your pain is Plantar Fasciitis? Here are some common signs and symptoms:
- Sharp stabbing or aching pain in the heel
- Sharp stabbing or aching pain in the arch (location depends on cause)
- Trouble walking after getting out of bed in the morning
- Same issue after sitting for long periods, but pain dissipates with movement
Can you run with plantar fasciitis?
This injury will require some trial and error. If you are able to run without pain, take advantage of the opportunity and run as much as you can. However, as soon as you start experiencing pain, stop running. Continue doing your physical therapy exercises whether or not there is pain to keep it from getting worse.
Some people find that if they warm up and tape their muscles, they can continue to run.
Some people find that they have heel pain when running and that it is a sign to stop and get treatment.
It is a problem to take pain relievers before running. If you’re experiencing pain, it could be caused by a variety of factors. Try to identify the source of your pain so you can treat it effectively.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. It supports the arch of the foot and absorbs shock when we walk. Repeated stress and tension on the muscle can cause tiny tears to develop. The repeated stretching and/or tearing of the fascia can cause irritation and inflammation.
When the plantar fascia becomes irritated and inflamed, it can lead to intense heel pain and manifests as plantar fasciitis.
Heel spurs were previously thought by doctors to be the cause of pain. Now, it is widely believed that heel spurs are a result of plantar fasciitis and not the cause of the condition.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis in Runners
Plantar fasciitis in runners is usually caused by:
- A sharp increase in mileage
- Big increase in speedwork
- Weak feet or arches
- Runners with flat feet
- Improper shoes for your strike and foot (pronation)
- Tight calf muscles (lack of stretching)
- Tight Achilles tendon
Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis
You are at a greater risk of developer plantar fasciitis if:
- You’re a long-distance runner
- You’re overweight, which puts increased pressure on your plantar fascia ligaments. This is especially true if you have experienced sudden weight gain
- Your work involves being on your feet for most of the day, nurses, servers, cooks
- You have structural foot issues, such as low arches or flat feet (pes planus) or high arches (pes cavus)
- You often wear shoes that have soft soles and provide poor arch support
- You have tight Achilles tendons or ‘heel cord’
- You often wear high-heel shoes
- You have tight calf muscles, which makes it difficult to flex your foot and bring your shoes towards your shins
How to Get Diagnosed
If you think you might have plantar fasciitis, you should see a doctor. If you want to start treating this properly, you need to know what it is.
Physical therapists are trained to differentiate between injuries of the plantar fascia and those injuries that mimic it, such as flexor hallucis tendinitis, interdigital neuroma, and injuries to the joints of the foot. The doctor will likely have you do some physical movements to help them diagnose your condition.
The practitioner will ask you to point and flex your foot while they apply pressure to the plantar fascia in order to check whether the pain improves when your toes are pointed and gets worse when they are flexed.
X-rays and MRIs may be used to diagnose plantar fasciitis. X-rays can be helpful in diagnosing heel pain, as they provide a clear image of soft tissues. This can rule out other possible causes of heel pain, such as bone fractures and heel spurs.
Why Do We Get Heel Pain from Running?
Physical therapists often see patients with heel pain caused by running. Although heel pain is commonly thought to be caused by heel striking, there are many other factors that can lead to this condition.
Check if your symptoms match those of pulmonary fibrosis by going through the following checklist. If the methods in this guide do not provide relief, then it is important to keep investigating the cause of the problem.
You could have a running stress fracture or a bone bruise if you are experiencing pain while running.
What Is The Best Treatment For Plantar Fasciitis?
The main goal of treatment is to relieve stress on the plantar fascia while it heals.
While previous research has suggested that plantar heel pain is caused by inflammation, new evidence indicates that the real problem is damage and degeneration of the fascial fibers. Although icing can be helpful, it is not an excuse to continue to strain the plantar fascia with long runs, hard workouts, or unsupportive shoes.
Here’s the deal:
If you want to recover quickly, you should do aggressive rehabilitation and avoid activities that will cause pain.
Several conservative treatment methods are supported by scientific research.
Protecting the arch and stretching the plantar fascia/calf muscle complex are the two goals of these treatments.
Arch taping to limit stress
Dye, an early 20th-century American orthopedic surgeon. A number of studies have found evidence to support the effectiveness of a taping technique called “low-Dye taping” (named after Ralph W. Dye, an early 20th-century American orthopedic surgeon). Dye, the inventor of the low-Dye taping technique, is responsible for its many benefits. Even its most basic form is effective.
Although the effect is not large, arch taping is still a part of a rehabilitation plan.
Orthotic inserts for plantar fasciitis
An orthotic is a device that can be custom-made or bought over the counter that supports the arch and prevents further injury.
There are also minimal studies comparing the two. There is little evidence to suggest that custom orthotics are significantly better than over-the-counter insoles at treating plantar fasciitis.
Although they may not be specifically designed for your foot, over-the-counter insoles are a lot less expensive and can be bought immediately – you would have to wait a few weeks to get a pair of custom orthotics.
Now:
It is not recommended to use soft gel arch supports as they are not likely to help with an injury.
Be careful with your casual and dress shoes with plantar fasciitis
Many runners find that wearing shoes with more arch support, including Birkenstocks and other brands of cork-soled shoes/sandals, relieves their symptoms.
The research on calf stretching, foot stretching, and using a night splint for plantar fasciitis has shown that these methods can be effective in treating the condition.
There are three treatments available which are intended to stretch the calf/Achilles/plantar fascia complex and reducing tension and strain on the arch.
Stretch for plantar fasciitis pain
Most plantar fasciitis treatment programs involve regularly stretching the calf muscle as the best available exercise.
You should stretch your calves several times a day, including right when you wake up in the morning. A common protocol is to stretch the knee straight and bent three times a day, for a total of three sets of 30 seconds each.
can improve flexibility and prevent injury Calf stretches can improve flexibility and prevent injury, both with a straight knee (top) and a bent knee (bottom).
Plantar fasciitis night splint
Night splinting is a treatment in which the patient wears a device that stretches the plantar fascia while they sleep.
A night splint is a device you wear while sleeping which holds your ankle in a dorsiflexed position.
The theory is that the pain caused by plantar fasciitis is caused by the arch healing at night without any tension on it.
The healing process is interrupted when you put stress on your arch when you get out of bed in the morning.
There are many solid, cast-like night splints available online and at specialty stores, but the Strassburg Sock is the best plantar fasciitis night splint. It is an easier and more practical solution.
“The Sock” is a regular knee-high sock with a strap that runs from the toes to the kneecap. The strap on this night splint gently dorsiflexes the ankle and toes like a regular night splint.
You can either order a Strassburg sock online or find one at your local running store. when you’re attaching it to the bag Don’t put too much tension on the strap when you’re attaching it to the bag
Additional Forms Of Treatment For Plantar Fasciitis
If you have unsuccessfully tried all the treatments for arch or heel pain, are there any other options?
Maybe give these a try:
Massage for plantar fasciitis
A recent trend among runners is to manipulate the tissue of the plantar fascia.
You can massage your feet with a golf ball or other hard, round object.
Other popular soft-tissue manipulations include Active Release Technique (A.R.T.) and Graston Technique, which are both more aggressive.
There is no solid evidence that any of these methods will actually help improve your running, but many people have reported that they find them helpful.
If you opt to roll out your arch or get some soft tissue work done, icing your foot post-treatment is a beneficial idea.
Steroid injections in the foot to ease heel pain
Podiatrists often use corticosteroid injections as a second-line treatment.
There is some debate over whether or not treatments commonly used to help heal a torn plantar fascia are actually effective. Some research suggests they may help, while other scientists are more cautious, since the success rate is not very high and there is a risk of completely rupturing the plantar fascia.
Ouch.
Iontophoresis, a process that uses electric charge to drive a substance through the skin, may be more helpful than a direct injection for applying a corticosteriod like dexamethasone, and have a lower risk of complications.
You should talk to your orthopedist or podiatrist about this issue.
Stages of Recovery for Plantar Fasciitis
Before continuing, it is helpful to know that there are stages to recovering from an injury: acute, rehab, and prevention.
Additionally, it is beneficial to be aware that these phases do not always progress in a linear fashion. Expect a circuitous course with ANY injury. Our bodies are not easily “fixed”.
How long does it take for plantar fasciitis to heal? It can take a very long time.
But don’t get frustrated, just keep following these tips!
{Amanda’s note: boy do I feel this!! After knee surgery, the recovery process was slow at first, but then accelerated. Then, there was a minor setback, but now the recovery is back on track. Just keep going day by day and know that things WILL eventually get better if you keep looking for information that isrelevant to your body.
So, which stage are you in?
The injury is recent and quite painful, making it difficult to walk or run.
, and you want to reduce some residual discomfort If your pain is only occasional and not too severe, you may be ready to start exercising again. If you still have some pain, you may be able to reduce it.
PREVENTION – you’re running pain free and loving life. After you complete this stage, you’ll need to do some routine maintenance to keep your success.
How Can I Get Back to Running if Plantar Fasciitis Makes Me Stop Running
The time frame for how long it will take to start running again will be determined by the intensity of the injury and how quickly you heal.
If your arch stiffness is not going away and running is making your arch pain worse, you need to take more time off and give your rehab program more time to work.
Leave a Reply