Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the tendon the or the flat band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated and inflamed. Then your heel or the bottom of your foot hurts when you stand or walk. It is especially painful when one has been still for a long time or is just getting out of bed in the morning.
Many times, but not always, the person may have flat feet and or the feet are what is call pronated where the foot rolls inward with each step. The tendon is stretched and irritated. I had plantar fasciitis and a bone spur on top of it all. I went to the podiatrist and he gave me cortisone and taped my foot. The taping did the most good because my arch was given support, but taping can be real uncomfortable because it pulls on the skin. I found these gadgets online called supinators, which are just like taping. They take the pressure off of the inside of the foot to help stop the irritation. Supportive shoes with a good arch or orthotics may be necessary depending on the severity of the condition.
Other things you can do to help relieve the pain are icing the area since it is an inflammation. You can massage the area with a lacrosse or tennis ball. If you have high tolerance for pain a golf ball can be used as well to loosen up tight tendons.
Calf stretches are also very important. Often times tight calves or tight achilles tendons are part of the pain. Stretches can be done easily while standing in line at the grocery store or at home you can place the ball of your foot on a step and press the heel down with either a straight leg or bent knee.
I also find that a product called Yoga Toes can also be effective in helping alleviate pain depending where the constriction is in the foot. Yoga Toes are similar to those things that get placed in between your toed during a pedicure, but they are much bigger. They are also helpful if you have bunion pain. They help by separating the toes and fanning them out.
