Heel pain in adults will be due to several causes, however the most frequent one is a disorder known as plantar fasciitis. The pain from plantar fasciitis frequently occurs under the heel and the classic sign is that the discomfort is worse when getting out of bed first thing each morning for those initial few steps. After those first steps the pain does typically ease considerably, but it worsens once more as the day goes on. The plantar fascia is a long ligament beneath the bottom of the foot that is responsible for supporting the arch of the foot, so plantar fasciitis is because there being excessive weight on the arch of the feet. The key risk factors for this are tight calf muscles, being overweight and having higher levels of exercise. Lower limb dysfunctional issues that increases the load in the plantar fascia also are a factor in raising the strain.
The primary approach to plantar fasciitis is pain alleviation by using ice following activity and maybe using anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication. Strapping can also be used for the short term to help you with the pain. Foot supports could be used to decrease the load on the arch of the feet and improve any biomechanical problems that might be a factor in leading to the plantar fasciitis. It is very important to stretch the calf muscles as this is a major risk. Night could also be used to help with this stretching if required. Strengthening the muscles that also support the arch is usually of great benefit since they take some stress of the plantar fascia. Over the long term, weight reduction is essential because this truly does create a lot of load in the feet. In the event that these kinds of techniques are not helping to well, then it is time to look at treatment such as shockwave therapy or corticosteroid shots. A final option for plantar fasciitis would be surgical procedures.
