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Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the fascia that connects the calcaneus to the toes, and causes more or less intense pain in the sole of the foot.
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Major causes include overload, inadequate footwear, and improper biomechanics.
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Treatment involves rest, stretching, orthotics, medication, therapy and, in extreme cases, surgery.
There is a phrase that arouses among runners compassion, participation, terror: “I have plantar fasciitis.” If you happen to have it (or have had it) you know what we are referring to: that mixture of human pity and “Eh, I hear you” that is painted on the face of the one to whom you said it. Plantar fasciitis is a nasty beast that plagues many runners.
What it is and what it is due to
Imagine that your foot is like a violin: its properly tuned strings will enable you to play it divinely (if you are Uto Ughi). However, if you pull them too hard they will sound bad, even to the point of fraying and tearing.
“Fasciitis” means inflammation: the plantar fascia is a band of fibers that joins the calcaneus with the toes of the foot. It runs all along the sole of the foot and when it becomes inflamed it causes more or less unbearable pain. Its function is to transmit movement and load along the foot, to allow it to detach from the ground: it is made to contract and dilate: in the contraction phase it charges, in the dilation phase it discharges, releasing the energy that makes the stride stand out on the ground.
Why does it flare up? There are many causes, but they all invariably lead to disruption of the fascia and subsequent inflammation:
- Excessive weight of the runner
- Excessive pronation
- Poor training, weakness of the foot muscles and consequent overloading of the plantar fascia
- Inadequate shoes (too narrow or too wide)
- Imbalanced biomechanical functioning of the motor system, causing overloads in areas that are not designed to bear them (e.g., improper running settings, too weak calves weak Achilles tendon, etc.).
- Almost exclusive running on hard surfaces (asphalt)
- Excessive foot use: that’s right, running too much can cause you a good inflammation
How do you know you have plantar fasciitis
Well, it’s very simple: your foot hurts like hell, especially when you put it on the ground or by taking the stairs. You have pain in the sole of your foot, as if pins had been driven into it. Typically, the pain originates in the heel area and then progresses to the toes. It hurts when you run but inexplicably the more you run the less it hurts (in truth, the plantar fascia in the workout stretches and “relaxes,” only to become sore again later) and it hurts when you put your feet down as soon as you wake up in the morning (during the night your toes bend down and the fascia contracts. When you wake up it is suddenly pulled and you see lots of little stars, or little birds, it depends).
How is it treated?
Since this is inflammation, the basic advice is: rest. To heal naturally (with rest alone) can take a month or even 6 months. Sometimes as long as a year in severe cases.
If you want to speed up recovery you can also try:
- Stretching (stretching your foot by holding your toes, or passing a tennis ball over the sole)
- Ice: to soothe pain the old method always works (but it only soothes it, not cures it)
- Orthotics: often decisive in correcting posture, need a good specialist to be customized
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Cortisone: works but can weaken fibers especially at the attack with the calcaneus
- Therapeutic Taping
- Therapies: ultrasound or processes that stimulate capillarization and thus the production of new tissue
- Surgery: the plantar fascia is “distended” and surgically discharged. To be practiced only in extreme cases and when pain is recurrent and any other treatment unresolving.
Listen to Uncle
You know we always like to give you friendly advice. In this case there are two, but important ones. If you have such pains first of all, DON’T RUN. Rest and listen to your body. If they pass, better. Carefully and gradually resume running. If they don’t pass, consult a specialist and agree with him or her on the therapy best suited to your case.
Running is too good to spoil the fun of it–running.
(Photo Credits: Hendrik Callens)