A rare disease such as plantar fasciitis occurs, treatment of which at home takes quite a long time. This disease develops very slowly and affects a person's foot. In the early stages, often no one pays attention to the first signs of violations. Many patients think that pain, stiffness and tension will gradually disappear if they rest a little. However, these signs, on the contrary, only intensify, even after the person has rested.
The fascia on the sole of the feet acts as a shock absorber during movement. It helps keep the foot in the correct position. If this area of the leg begins to hurt, then the person cannot fully move. Of course, you can endure the unpleasant sensations, but they are repeated and then begin to intensify. Yes, and sports activities will not help, in addition, the person will experience stiffness, which will disrupt the progress of the workout. This problem needs to be resolved as early as possible. Treatment of fasciitis at home gives good results, but only if all treatment measures are carried out systematically.
As soon as the first symptoms of the disease appear, you must immediately go to the hospital. First of all, you need to determine the cause of the disease. Treatment should be aimed not only at combating the symptoms of the disease, but also at eliminating the cause of the disease. After making a diagnosis, the doctor selects the best methods and medications to help treat plantar fasciitis.
If the patient has inflammatory processes, but no bone growth has formed, then non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used. They can be replaced with homeopathic remedies. These medications will help eliminate inflammation of the tissue near the bump on the heel. In addition, they make the ligaments more elastic and elastic, and this reduces pain, even if a person has already formed a bone growth. Nonsteroidal medications that fight inflammation help relieve pain. But they need to be used in small doses, and the course of treatment will be quite long. In addition, the doctor selects ointments, gels and creams for local treatment. You can prepare special compresses.
If your leg hurts a lot, you can use all medications with ibuprofen (for example, Motrin or Advil). Naproxen (Aleve) will do. You can limit yourself to Aspirin or other drugs that have anti-inflammatory properties.
You can always use traditional medicine. They involve the preparation and use of special decoctions, ointments and tinctures based on improvised means and natural ingredients. Traditional medicine can help the patient if the disease is at an early stage. If it is already protracted, then you cannot do without physiotherapeutic procedures and medications. Sometimes surgery will even be required. In this case, traditional medicine recipes will be auxiliary means of treatment. If there are problems on the foot, then it is best to carry out the procedures before bed. Procedures must be done until all signs of the disease disappear.
For example, you can use sea salt. It is necessary to dissolve 1 kg of salt in 5 liters of warm water. The feet should be kept in this saline solution until it cools down. Salt contains trace elements that can penetrate into deeper layers through the pores in the skin. It improves the elasticity of the ligaments in the leg. If you don’t have sea salt, you can use regular rock salt, but add a few drops of iodine to the solution.
You can use garlic. To do this, you need to peel a few cloves and then grate them. You will get a paste that needs to be applied to the sore spot for half an hour. This medicine is very effective because... Garlic will help eliminate inflammation.
Oddly enough, medical bile is often prescribed, which can easily be purchased in pharmacies. A compress is prepared from it. A linen cloth is used, which must be soaked in the solution and then applied to the sole of the foot. The skin must first be steamed in warm water. After this, the lower limb needs to be wrapped in polyethylene and a sock put on. The next morning, the compress is removed, and the skin of the leg should be wiped with an alcohol solution.
It is very useful to use ozokerite (known as mountain wax) and paraffin. They are used together to prepare applications. These procedures help warm up the entire foot and also nourish the tissues with beneficial microelements. The temperature of the mixture should be no more than 40°C. The mass is placed on the foot and wrapped with linen cloth and polyethylene. Then your feet need to be wrapped in warm socks and a blanket. Using this method, you need to warm your feet for no more than half an hour. After this, you should put on warm socks again.
By the way, bischofite is used to treat feet - this is a special saline solution that contains a large number of useful microelements. In addition, you can prepare infusions and decoctions based on the inflorescences of lilac, chamomile, burdock leaves, plantain, dodder, elecampane, woodlice, nettle and celandine. They are used for compresses.
If you have a problem with fasciitis, then you definitely need to give your legs a rest at home. It is necessary to limit the load or completely stop all activities that can cause attacks of pain in the heels.
You also need to choose comfortable shoes so that they support the foot and arch, and the sole itself is soft and elastic. In addition, you should choose special orthopedic inserts. They can be made from leather, rubber or plastic.
You can apply ice or any other cold compress to your leg. It will help reduce pain and cope with swelling and inflammation. You can take contrast baths: alternating hot and cold water. Warm water can intensify the signs of illness, so it is better to finish the contrast shower procedure with cold water.
You can apply a splint at night. It will provide stretching of the ligament using a gentle method. This is good for the connective membranes of the foot and tendons, so it will help prevent lumps from developing while the person sleeps. In addition, you must perform a number of exercises to strengthen the foot and stretch the muscles, ligaments and tendons. This will help make them more flexible and elastic. The arch also becomes stronger.
Plantar fasciitis is generally treatable, but treatment, especially at home, takes several months. Sometimes it drags on for up to a year. However, you need to start the treatment process as early as possible. If after 1.5 months of such treatment the patient’s health condition has not improved, then the doctor should select other methods of therapy.
Plantar fasciitis can be cured at home, but the course of treatment will be long, and a positive result from the procedures will only be if the treatment itself is not only systematic, but also comprehensive.
Plantar fasciitis is a slowly developing disease, and in the initial stages it is usually not paid attention to. If any unpleasant sensations arise, it seems that your legs are simply tired, and everything will go away as soon as they rest. However, over time, the pain only gets worse, especially after rest.
Heel fasciitis is more common in women, older adults, and athletes. According to the international classification of diseases, the disease is given the name plantar fascial fibromatosis. Popularly, plantar fasciitis is called a “heel spur”; the scientific name is plantar fasciitis. At its core, this is an inflammatory process in the heel bone. As the disease progresses, tissue compaction occurs, and a bony protrusion appears at the site of salt deposition.
Fasciitis of the foot causes a person’s gait to change, and permanent lameness may develop, and it is also very unpleasant, at first the pain is present only when walking, and then at rest too.
Elderly people often encounter a disease such as plantar fasciitis, the reasons for which lie in severe and regular overload of the ligamentous apparatus. That is why professional ballerinas and athletes often suffer from this pathology.
The disease has an inflammatory onset, but after some time the disease progresses, and as a result, degenerative processes begin to develop. This can be caused by:
In order to cure this disease, it is necessary to find out for what reason it developed, since fasciitis is only a consequence, if you try to treat it, you may not achieve the result.
It is necessary to eliminate the root cause of the pathology, and after that you can begin to treat heel fasciitis using conservative methods.
The symptoms of plantar fasciitis cannot be ignored or confused. The clinic is quite bright:
To confirm the diagnosis, you need to do an ultrasound (the photo shows what it looks like), but you can begin to suspect plantar fasciitis on your own. Severe sharp pain in the morning is the main symptom of the disease.
During the day the pain becomes less intense, but gets worse towards night. It may intensify after prolonged sitting and sudden rise. Also a striking symptom is flabbiness of the arch of the foot. Since the symptoms of plantar fasciitis are more than typical, there are usually no difficulties with diagnosis.
When the cause of the disease has been identified and, if possible, eliminated, treatment can begin. It is primarily aimed at reducing pain.
For plantar fasciitis, treatment is prescribed by an orthopedic traumatologist or surgeon. To relieve the inflammatory process, homeopathic or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Provided that the ligamentous apparatus has not lost its elasticity, even the resulting bone growth will not cause pain. But if there is severe pain, anti-inflammatory drugs must be taken for a long time. As for local treatment, compresses and ointments are prescribed.
The use of physiotherapy gives positive results:
If conservative treatment of plantar fasciitis is ineffective, then the question of surgical intervention arises, but according to statistics, only 70% of operations can be considered successful.
The operation is performed under local anesthesia - it is injected into the spine, thereby blocking sensitivity. The operation can be traditional (open) or endoscopic (minimally invasive). The latter is naturally less traumatic, and the recovery process is easier and faster.
The following complications are possible after surgery:
How to treat plantar fasciitis at home? The beneficial properties of ginger relieve inflammation and relieve pain. Grate the ginger root, take 1 tbsp. l. the resulting mass and fill it with water (glass). Boil the product for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then drink throughout the day.
Folk remedies (like medications) are also aimed at relieving pain. However, to treat plantar fasciitis, the main thing is to eliminate its cause.
To prevent fasciitis, you must follow these guidelines:
Remember that a progressive and protracted disease is more difficult to treat. Therefore, at the first unpleasant symptoms, consult a doctor for diagnosis.
Pain in the heel or foot is a common symptom, with which hundreds of thousands of people every year turn to medical institutions to identify the causes and eliminate the pain syndrome. It would seem that modern medicine and the technical equipment of medical institutions should no longer leave incurable diseases, but such diseases still exist. Such diseases include plantar fasciitis, which should be treated immediately. You can also treat at home.
Plantar fasciitis is called a heel spur, which is not correct from a medical point of view. A heel spur is a bony growth that forms in the area of the heel bone and fascia of the foot. Bone growth does not cause pain or discomfort; its presence in the clinical course of the disease does not affect treatment methods. Often, heel spurs are found in completely healthy individuals who have never had complaints about the health of their feet or heel spurs.
Let's talk about the anatomical structure and functions of the fascia. Plantar fascia is a connective tissue formation covering the bone formations of the foot, starting from the metatarsal bones of the fourth and fifth toes and attaching to the heel bone. The thickness and structure of the fascia is not the same throughout, and the load on the foot in different parts is different. A large load is applied to the midfoot, so the thickness of the fascia in this section is maximum. Towards the periphery the fascia becomes thinner.
The main functions of the fascia include:
The feet withstand enormous loads, which causes spurs to form on the heels. On average, the fascia of the feet experiences a force of 50-100 kg. Over time, loads lead to inferiority of the structure and the formation of pathology. Reasons that can cause pathology:
The pathogenesis of the disease is quite clear. When exposed to a causative factor, fascial overstrain occurs. As a result of increased load on the fascia, it becomes thinner and stretches. In this state, it still performs its function. Fascia, as a connective tissue structure, is easily stretched, so the disease does not develop immediately. When the fascia stretches to its maximum extent, it is susceptible to all irritants. Under the pressure of a force that the fascia could previously easily withstand, ruptures and microcracks occur.
Such microcracks lead to activation of the immune system, which seeks to compensate for the resulting pathology and secretes a huge number of cells and biologically active substances into the epicenter. These cells and active chemicals lead to the development of aseptic inflammation. Aseptic inflammation means a process of inflammatory changes that occur without the participation of pathogenic microorganisms.
As a result of the activity of inflammatory mediators, the permeability of blood vessels in this area increases, and plasma emerges from the vessels into the area of increased concentration of active chemical compounds. This is how swelling is formed, leading to greater stretching of the fascia, irritation of pain receptors and nerve endings - a feeling of pain is formed.
The main symptom that causes trouble for patients is pain. The pain occurs more often in the morning and can develop during the daytime, after prolonged physical exertion. This is explained by the course of the pathogenesis of the disease. At night, when the leg is at rest, the productive phase of inflammation is activated, cells in the area of aseptic inflammation begin to secrete substances aimed at healing the resulting microtraumas and restoring integrity. The tissues formed in this way are inferior and fragile. In the morning, when the patient takes his first steps, the ligaments are torn again, causing pain.
Diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is quite easy. The doctor interviews the patient, finds out the symptoms, identifies the location of the pain and the time of its occurrence. The location of the pain is important and helps determine whether the pain is caused by plantar fasciitis or another cause of the pain.
The doctor assesses the health of the entire musculoskeletal system. To do this, tests are carried out to evaluate the symptoms:
To completely confirm the diagnosis, instrumental diagnostic methods are used:
Most patients, with properly selected treatment and timely referral to professionals, recover within several months thanks to conservative therapy.
Conservative treatment involves the use of drugs:
Physiotherapeutic treatment methods are widely used to treat plantar fasciitis - electrophoresis, phonophoresis, ultrasound therapy, UHF. The maximum effect of these plantar fasciitis treatment methods is achieved when used in conjunction with medications.
It is effective to use special orthopedic shoes and insoles equipped with pronators and instep supports, ensuring uniform distribution of the load on the surface of the foot.
If the effect of conservative therapy is insignificant, treatment methods are used:
At home, it is advisable to perform physical exercises aimed at stretching the plantar fascia and increasing its reserve forces.
Place your palms on the wall and place your feet directly behind each other. The sore leg is at the back; if pain occurs in both heels, then the legs must be alternated. Without lifting your heels off the floor, squat down, bending your knees until you feel tension in the lower part of the shin of your sore leg. Stay in this position for 15-20 seconds. Perform 10-15 repetitions. The exercise warms up and increases the elasticity and strength of the lower leg muscles, relieving the load on the aponeurosis.
The exercise is a warm-up exercise with elements aimed at training the plantar fascia.
On the floor, in front of the wall, place several books in a stack 5 cm high. Stand on the books so that your heels hang over the edge. Place your palms on the wall. From this position, lean forward toward the wall to feel the stretch in the lower part of your shin, hold for 15-20 seconds. Complete 15 reps.
The same manipulations are performed in the same sequence as when performing exercise 2, but bending towards the wall is carried out while standing on one leg.
Take a tennis ball, rolling pin, or cylindrical object and place it under your feet. Roll the object along the floor like rolling out dough, pressing it with your foot to the surface of the floor. If pain is severe, you can take a bottle of cold water - this will reduce the pain.
Conservative treatment prescribed by a doctor will become effective if you begin to take care of yourself at home. During treatment, it is necessary to reduce walking time and the intensity of physical activity. Don't forget about cold compresses, massages, baths and exercises. Avoid uncomfortable shoes, especially heels.
The plantar fascia not only performs a shock-absorbing function, but also reliably holds your foot in the correct position. When it becomes inflamed or injured, a sharp pain occurs that does not allow you to step freely on your heel.
You could be patient and forget, but the pain occurs again and again, appearing both after walking and after wearing your favorite stylish shoes. Yes, and it interferes with playing sports. It becomes obvious that the problem needs to be fixed.
Plantar fasciitis can be treated at home and responds well to it. True, if you carry out the procedures systematically.
Unless you are lazy, you don’t know how to treat inflammation with fasciitis. After all, a heel spur, which is what people call the disease, is a fairly common phenomenon. According to statistics, fasciitis occurs in one out of 10 residents. Pathology also has its favorite categories:
Therefore, you will hear enough advice, don’t doubt it. Whether they will be effective is the question. Be very careful with your choice, other methods are unsafe.
Both are appropriate. The doctor will examine you, confirm the diagnosis, and, if necessary, prescribe medications and physical treatments. But the recovery process can be significantly accelerated if you supplement the doctor’s prescriptions with treatment for plantar fasciitis at home.
By the way, experienced doctors themselves can give you some advice on this topic. The existing opinion that a doctor cannot cure a spur is wrong. The optimal solution in this situation is a competent combination of official and traditional medicine.
Let's look at how to treat plantar fasciitis with folk remedies based on medicinal herbs. You can resist - so your heel hurts, and then go on a hike to get grass! We hasten to reassure you: all the necessary herbs can be purchased at the pharmacy , fortunately they are not in short supply now. So, you can use:
All these herbs are used separately to prepare alcohol rubbing. It’s simple to prepare, but it can’t be done quickly – the infusion must sit for a week in order to gain a healing effect.
IMPORTANT! You should not use vodka with melon, cranberry or juniper flavors for infusions. Buy a clean, quality product. We do not recommend using moonshine. The medicinal effect of the herb is neutralized by contact with fusel oil.
Use the product every night, before bed. Rub the alcohol infusion on your heel, put on a warm sock and go to bed. A bandage soaked in infusion can serve as the basis for a compress.
Treatment of heel fasciitis with folk remedies can be carried out by applying compresses. This should be done at night, and done correctly.
Apply to dry, intact skin, without rashes, calluses, etc. Each compress layer should be wider than the previous one. When fixing the compress on the heel, do not bandage the ankle too tightly.
Now about what can be used for the first layer of compress, the medicinal component:
You can apply a compress to the heel at night. The number of procedures is determined individually - until the pain completely disappears. However, in case of ineffectiveness, more than 14 procedures without a break should not be done.
There are many recipes on how to treat plantar fasciitis with folk remedies based on homemade ointments. Here are simple and complex options:
The most simple homemade ointment is crushed unsalted lard . The bandage with the crushed mass is fixed on the heel, and a sock is put on top. Sebaceous ointment perfectly relieves pain.
An alternative to this remedy is a solid thin piece of unsalted lard, these can be purchased at the market from meat sellers.
We recommend preparing a very effective homemade ointment that will relieve you of pain in 5-7 procedures .
Use for rubbing a sore heel, do not use for compresses.
ATTENTION! This recipe is not suitable for smokers! Danger of developing an extensive allergic reaction!
A simple method for treating plantar fasciitis at home: regularly rub your heel with a regular felt boot . This rubbing helps to increase blood circulation in the sore area and relieve pain.
In conclusion, we would like to warn you against some recipes that are widely advertised on the Internet. They do not have any therapeutic effect, but they will add problems.
Therefore, when choosing a remedy to treat plantar fasciitis at home, remember to exercise reasonable caution. Better yet, discuss your chosen prescription with your doctor.
Author: admin · Published 05/14/2017 · Updated 01/06/2018
Understanding the etiology of the problem and directing treatment accordingly is the key to successfully treating plantar fasciitis. Careful attention must be paid during the examination and physical examination to ensure that other possible causes of heel pain are not missed. A step-by-step, evidence-based approach to treatment will help achieve good results. In this article we will look at how to treat plantar fasciitis.
If your first few steps out of bed in the morning cause severe pain in the heel of your foot, you may have plantar fasciitis, an overuse injury that affects the bottom of your foot. A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means that you have inflammation of the tough, fibrous bands of tissue (fascia) that connect your heel bone to the base of your toes.
You are more likely to develop this condition if you are female, overweight, or have a job that requires you to walk a lot or stand on hard surfaces. You're also at risk if you walk or run if you have tight calf muscles, which limit how far you can bend your ankles. People with very flat feet or very high arches are also more prone to plantar fasciitis.
The condition usually begins gradually with mild tenderness in the heel bone, often called stone bruise. You're more likely to feel it after (not during) your workout. The pain classically occurs immediately upon rising in the morning and after a period of sitting. If you don't treat plantar fasciitis, it can become a chronic condition. You may not be able to maintain your activity level, and you may develop symptoms of foot, knee, hip, and back problems because plantar fasciitis can change your walking conditions. Causes of severe foot pain.
Stretching is the best treatment for plantar fasciitis. It may help to try to keep weight on your leg until the initial inflammation goes away. You can also apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes four times a day to help relieve your symptoms. Often, your doctor will prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Home exercises to stretch the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia are the mainstay of treatment and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
In one exercise, you lean forward against a wall with one knee and heel on the ground. Your other knee is bent. Your heel ligament and arch of your foot are stretched when you bend over. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax and straighten up. Repeat 20 times for each painful heel. It is important that the knee is fully extended on the stretched side.
In another exercise, you lean forward onto a tabletop with your legs spread, one leg in front of the other. Bend your knees and squat down, keeping your heels on the ground as much as possible. Your heel ligaments and leg arches will be stretched. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and straighten up. Repeat 20 times.
About 90% of people with plantar fasciitis experience significant improvement after two months of initial treatment. You may be advised to use shoes with shock-absorbing soles or to have a ready-made device inserted into your shoes, like a rubber heel pad. Your leg can be glued in a certain position.
If your plantar fasciitis continues after several months of conservative treatment, your doctor may inject your heel with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Causes of foot pain when walking.
If you still have symptoms, you may need to wear a cast for two to three weeks or a positional splint while you sleep. In some cases, surgery is necessary for tissues with chronic tightness.
1. Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin can help reduce inflammation and provide some relief to your foot. Choose tablet or cream form. If you decide to take the pill, be sure to eat something beforehand. When using the cream, simply spread it on the affected area and let it soak.
2. Visit a physical therapist. Before moving forward with surgery to relieve the symptoms of your plantar fasciitis, consult with a physical therapist to determine if your condition can be treated with a stretching and rehabilitation program. An appointment with a physical therapist should be scheduled after exhausting all non-drug treatments listed above and before resorting to invasive medical procedures such as surgery.
3. Corticosteroid injections. Corticosteroid injections can relieve the symptoms of plantar fasciitis by temporarily reducing pain. However, these injections are not a long-term solution to the problem. Keep in mind that although they are much less invasive than surgery, the shots can still be painful. Excessive needling can also cause heel damage.
4. Take a course of shock wave therapy. This procedure sends sound waves into the painful area to relax the muscles in your leg. Shockwave therapy is usually prescribed for people who have not seen any results from home treatments for more than six to twelve months. Side effects include bruising, swelling, pain and numbness.
5. How to treat plantar fasciitis with surgery. Surgery to release the plantar fascia. If none of the above methods have helped relieve your symptoms within a year, plantar fascia release treatment may be needed to cure your symptoms. This surgical process ultimately releases tension and inflammation in the plantar fascial ligament by cutting off part of the ligament itself.
There are several risks associated with plantar fascia release surgery. These include: nerve breakdown or tunnel syndrome, development of neuroma, persistent heel pain and swelling, infection, long recovery time, and delayed ability to heal.
Perform at least three repetitions of stretches per day. But don't stretch too often. The most important times to stretch are before you take your first step in the morning and after a period of prolonged sitting.
Additional stretch, Achilles tendon stretch:
Plantar fasciitis or heel spur is a disease that involves inflammation of the foot, or rather its plantar fascia (PF), which is a powerful tissue bundle (in medical parlance - aponeurosis).
The PF supports the foot arch, acting as a shock absorber.
The main cause of the disease is a minor injury to the PF.
The risk of illness increases when a person:
Symptoms of plantar fasciitis are pain in the heel area (occurring immediately after getting out of bed or after spending a long time in a sitting position), which may increase. The worst pain may occur after standing for a long time or after climbing stairs.
To begin, the doctor studies the patient's medical history, obtaining information about when the pain began, the area where it is localized, and when it becomes most severe. After this, he collects information about what lifestyle the patient leads, and whether he has anatomical confirmations in the form of thin tendons or flat feet.
Next, palpation is carried out, the type and cause are determined.
Ultimately, ultrasound and radiography, MRI and CT are prescribed to confirm the previously made diagnosis.
Considering all of the above, the risk group includes people 40-70 years old who lead an active lifestyle , most often women. There is also a high risk of getting sick for runners, factory workers, waiters and many other representatives of standing professions.
The treatment period can take a whole year, and the plantar aponeurosis and Achilles tendon will need to be stretched. To do this, the patient will have to constantly perform special exercises. As an addition, a splint is placed on the foot (at night) to ensure its immobility in neutral dorsiflexion.
Such actions will help avoid contraction of the plantar aponeurosis. Mandatory heel cushioning is performed using heel pads. The need to use arch supports designed for the entire water supply of the foot for such tasks is not confirmed by doctors.
Actions to relieve pain in the heels and feet:
You can do gymnastics at home, but you should consult your doctor before doing so.
The patient stands against the wall and places his right and left hands on it, while slightly spreading his legs. Bend the knee of your left leg without bending your back. Next, tilt towards the wall. A person should feel his calf muscles (their tension). You need to remain in this position for a few seconds and then relax.
After repeating 10 times, switch to the right leg and do the exercise 10 more times, then use both legs in alternating bends, but now the back should be slightly bent. You need to practice the procedure at least 2 times a day.
The patient stands on the bottom step of a flight of stairs, with his legs slightly apart (heels hanging down). While holding onto the railing, your heels should be lowered without straightening your knees. And again, when carrying out such manipulations, a person should feel the tension in the calf muscles and hold this position for about a minute, then relax. Perform the exercise 2 times a day, repeating 6 times in a row.
A person needs to sit on the floor and stretch his legs forward, his knees should also remain straight. Next, you need to stretch the toes of one of your feet towards your nose and hold on for half a minute. Repeat 3 times, repeating the procedure for the other leg. It is enough to perform the exercise itself once a day.
Now you need to sit on a chair, keeping your knees at an angle of 90 degrees, while both the heels and the feet as a whole should remain on the floor. Hold this for a few seconds and then you can relax. It should be repeated at least 10 times, the number of repetitions per day is 6.
To treat fasciitis of the soles, they also use:
Cortisone injections are given only when the pain does not disappear after using painkillers ( Paracetamol , Ibuprofen , which also perform an anti-inflammatory function) or a cold compress. However, this does not solve the problem itself, it only eliminates unpleasant symptoms.
The essence of extracorporeal therapy is the use of special medical equipment, thanks to which a high-energy sound wave effect is carried out on the affected area, thus stimulating the healing of the PF. Several sessions may be required to completely cure the disease. Using this method, you need to be prepared for some side effects such as skin redness and swelling.
During radiation therapy, X-rays are irradiated (in small doses) to the spur and plantar fascia, providing a long-lasting effect aimed at relieving inflammation.
During the operation, the doctor gets rid of the spur and/or partially cuts the PF fibers. Thanks to the intervention of a surgeon, it is possible to cope with 50 percent of all cases of the disease.
A foot massage can have a beneficial effect on the heel. For this, a low threshold is used, which is found in any apartment. The patient may experience pain at the beginning, but very soon he will feel relief.
To avoid heel problems, you should:
There is a feeling of stiffness in the legs, pain in the heel pierces the arch of the foot - symptoms indicating familiarity with plantar fasciitis. The disease is caused by an inflammatory process in overstrained ligaments and muscle fibers of the lower part of the foot.
The development of the pathology is leisurely, initially, in the early stages, it does not loudly announce itself. Over time, the intensity of pain increases, and the pain intensifies in the morning when you wake up, get out of bed and take your first steps.
Long rest does not bring the expected relief to tired legs; tension and pain continue to “torment” the patient.
The term fascia refers to the fibrous connective tissue membrane covering muscle fibers, tendons, ligaments, bones, and nerve bundles.
The plantar fascia is a connecting link that connects the heel bone (the largest of the “bone apparatus” of the foot) with the metatarsals, providing the necessary bending required for stability during movement.
Inflammation of the fascia provokes pain in the arch of the foot. The heel area is especially susceptible to inflammatory attacks - the area of “attachment” of the plantar (plantar) fascia to the heel tubercle.
The result of such pathological disorders is an obvious change in gait, up to the development of lameness. Later, the pain begins to bother you even at rest.
List of etiological (causal) factors that served as catalysts for the development of inflammation of the plantar fascia:
In addition to those mentioned above, the following are recognized as being involved in the appearance of heel pain:
Diseases against which foot fasciitis can develop:
The basic symptom signaling problems is heel pain. The pain is so intense that for a competent doctor (traumatologist, orthopedist), there are no particular difficulties in making a diagnosis.
Pain can manifest itself in different ways:
In addition, the list of signs is supplemented by:
The formation of a bone growth in the heel area, provoking inflammation of the “adjacent” tendons, is a negative consequence of plantar fasciitis.
A doctor can correctly diagnose the extent of the problem and choose the right treatment regimen. Independent selection of therapeutic measures is categorically unacceptable.
The doctor, having collected an anamnesis (after listening to the patient’s complaints about the current condition), will conduct a visual examination. Then, in order to determine the area of localization of pain, a palpation examination of the problem area is carried out. The patient is sent for an x-ray.
The goal of any therapeutic process is to eliminate the causes that were catalysts for the pathological disorder.
Key treatment goals:
Timely, adequate treatment of plantar fasciitis can bring the expected positive result after one and a half to two months.
Regular treatment procedures, in 90% of cases, lead to a noticeable improvement in the patient’s well-being. So, what needs to be done to eliminate pain, relieve swelling and inflammation?
help sick foot :
Let's talk about them in more detail.
Minimize the load on the problem area of the foot, no running, intense movement, or active sports. Give your feet enough time to rest.
Below are a few simple recommendations that will come to your aid.
The use of heating pads and hot compresses to relieve inflammation is not suitable, since thermal procedures can aggravate the painful manifestations of plantar fasciitis.
For a person suffering from muscle pain in the heels, the issue of choosing shoes becomes extremely relevant.
Properly selected comfortable shoes will relieve stress from muscle ligaments weakened by the disease.
Purchase arch support insoles from the pharmacy to help support the deformed arch of the foot, preventing further development of the inflammatory process.
Shoes must be chosen with soft soles that can absorb the shock impact on the foot while walking.
Sports shoes (sneakers) are the best option in such a situation.
For plantar fasciitis, the use of orthopedic insoles (individually ordered) is indicated, their advantages:
When ongoing therapeutic efforts do not bring the expected improvement, the treatment regimen can be expanded to other ways to combat plantar fasciitis.
Before going to bed, the patient is given a special splint that fixes the foot with the toes up, creating a comfortable/mild stretch of the plantar ligaments.
A plaster cast is applied to the ankle. The disadvantages of this method include the time required to restore motor activity after removing the plaster. The positive thing is that the affected foot is given proper rest.
If necessary, the doctor can intensify treatment by prescribing injections of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The injection will quickly “pacify” the raging inflammatory process, the pain will subside, and the elasticity of the ligaments will increase.
Inflammation of tendons and ligaments requires a comprehensive fight, so in addition to the non-surgical methods mentioned above, it is worth mentioning the use of local pain relievers:
Let's talk separately about two components, the use of which has a healing effect.
Natural shark oil helps eliminate swelling and reduces inflammation. The composition includes squalamine, a substance with physiological properties that is a “powerful” antibiotic.
Comfrey is a medicinal plant (perennial), among the indications for use are:
A pre-crushed comfrey leaf is applied to the affected area, although a cream sold in a pharmacy is considered a more convenient option. Rub into the heel area before going to bed, then wrap the foot in a dry warming bandage.
Folk remedies against heel spurs include:
If there is no positive dynamics with conservative treatment options, the doctor may recommend surgery.
Among the options offered:
The rehabilitation period ranges from several days to 2-3 weeks.
Heel pain, caused by inflammation of the corresponding muscles and ligaments, can occur in any person. Various factors act as catalysts:
It is impossible to guarantee “insure” the feet from such troubles, but significantly reducing the risks of developing plantar fasciitis is a feasible task.
Plantar fasciitis often affects those who regularly spend all day on their feet, putting their feet at risk. Remember that a heel spur does not suddenly appear. A timely and competent diagnosis and timely treatment will help protect the feet from inflammation and pain.