PLANTAR FASCIITIS NEWS
Plantar Fasciitis is characterized by the inflammation of the plantar
fascia, although inflammation is not always present which we'll get into
shortly. Stress, strain and or trauma can cause micro tears in the fascial
tissue leading to heel pain, arch pain and potential lower leg pain.
Although the condition seems to be abundant in athletes, they are not the only
ones at risk. Any activity that promotes excessive or extreme dorsi/plantar
flexion such as running or jumping could potentially lead to plantar fasciitis.
Sudden weight gain, tight muscles in the lower leg, commencing exercise
after a long period of dormancy, even structural problems such as flat feet or
high arches play a role.
We all know that when an elastic is stretched with force
that it will tear at a certain point, imagine that same force being 
put
on a shorter elastic. The breaking point would be much sooner. When
the muscles of your lower leg become "tight" they shorten, causing your
foot to rest in a more flexed position.This flexed position puts
strain on the surrounding tissues of the foot and allows them, along
with your plantar fascia to shorten. As a result the tissue is
more susceptible to injury. One of your best defenses is stretching.
The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel or arch of the foot with the first few steps taken in the morning or after a long rest period (first-step pain). This is because the tissue is being forcefully stretched after it's had time to shorten. Other symptoms may include; localized pain at the front of the heel, pain in and around the Achilles tendon area, the pain typically starts gradually, worsening as the condition becomes chronic.
The conventional treatment for plantar fasciitis tends to involve the
use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAID's). As previously mentioned, this condition doesn't always
involve inflammation, that may seem strange because the suffix "itis" pertains
to inflammation. The tissue may receive tears that are not traumatic
enough to cause a vascular disruption necessary for an inflammatory response
and should end in the suffix "osis" meaning condition of. So why give
anti-inflammatory medication when inflammation isn't present? Good question.
Unfortunately, plantar fasciitis is very often mistreated and misdiagnosed.
Conditions that are acute and involve inflammation are typically "easy" to treat and patients recover in a relatively short period of time (4-6 weeks), where as non-inflammatory conditions tend to take longer (3-12 months).
Definitions
Plantar Fascia : A fibrous aponeurosis (ligament-like) structure that extends from the front of the heel into the base of the toes. It provides static support to the longitudinal arch of the foot and aids in shock absorption.
Gastrocnemius : A large, superficial (close to the surface) muscle of
the lower leg which serves to plantar flex the foot and flex the leg
at the knee.
Soleus : A flat, broad muscle of the lower leg that serves to plantar flex
the foot. Deep muscle compared to the gastrocnemius.
Achilles Tendon: The tendon of the gastrocnemius and
the soleus muscles of the lower leg.
Plantar flexion: The motion of pointing the toes away from the body
(towards the floor)
Dorsi flexion : The motion of pointing the toes towards
the body (upwards)
Plantar Fasciitis Facts
- One disturbing fact about plantar fasciitis is that it sometimes
takes many months to resolve. Indeed, it takes approximately 6 months
for 75% of people to recover from this problem. 98% of people seem
to be better at 12 months.
- Studies suggest that approximately 10% of individuals who see a doctor
for plantar fasciitis have the problem for more than a year. Chronics
plantar fasciitis is defined as plantar fasciitis symptoms persisting
for 6 months or more.
- An estimated 10% of all running injuries are inflammations of the
fascia, an incidence rate which in the U.S. would produce more than
200,000 cases of plantar fasciitis per year, just from the running
population.
- A recent study determined that 77% of its sample of 411 plantar fasciitis (heel spurs) patients were overweight. Another study found that 23% of overweight women had plantar fasciitis (heel spurs) compared to 8% of the normal body-weight group.
Heel Spurs
The calcaneus is the largest bone in your foot and takes the most pressure when weight bearing. A heel spur can develop at the lower frontal area of the calcaneus, where the plantar fascia attaches. When under stress, the plantar fascia pulls away from the bone causing your body to lay down calcium (building block for bone) in an attempt to strengthen the area.
Many people have a spur and don't know it because a spur alone does not cause pain. Rarely are there cases of the spur "poking" into tissue resulting in pain. A spur is mainly just evidence that you may have plantar fasciitis
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