Plantar fasciitis, sharp pain in the sole of the foot

What is plantar fasciitis?

Acute pain in the sole of the foot is usually due to plantar fasciitis, a fairly common problem that affects one in ten people. In addition, it is a disease on the rise, mainly due to the fact that more and more exercise is practiced and, specifically, to the popularity of running. But what is it exactly.

This is how it occurs. The plantar fascia is the elastic, fan-shaped tissue that runs from under the toes to its insertion into the calcaneus which is the heel bone. When this tissue becomes inflamed is when we are dealing with a case of plantar fasciitis.

What are your symptoms?

Without a doubt, the main symptom of plantar fasciitis is sharp pain in the sole of the foot, near the heel. This is usually more intense when we get out of bed in the morning or after standing or sitting for a while.

Special cases. Sometimes, you can also notice pain at the end of the day that although it is not usually too intense, it can be very uncomfortable.

What are the causes?

Víctor Alfaro, general director of Podoactiva, podiatrist for Real Madrid and the Spanish Football Federation, points out that the main cause of plantar fasciitis is an overload or tension maintained in the area where the plantar fascia is inserted into the calcaneus , the bone that forms the heel of the foot.

What favors its appearance?

There are several risk factors that favor your appearance of plantar fasciitis.

Do sport. The practice of sports (especially in impact sports or those that involve running or jumping) causes the overload on the heel to be greater, so fasciitis is a very common pathology among athletes. What is especially problematic is when we begin to practice a sport with a very high intensity to which our body is not used to or when we suddenly increase sports activity.
The shape of the foot. The valgus feet (foot that tends to flatten) and the pes cavus (feet with more arches than necessary) are the ones that most frequently suffer from plantar fasciitis.
The obesity. Excess weight increases the load on the heel.
The high-heeled shoes. If you wear high heels continuously, the back muscles of the leg will shorten and there is a direct relationship between this shortening and plantar fasciitis. To avoid this, it is best that you alternate high heels with flatter ones and that you do not decrease the height of the heel abruptly, since this favors the increase of tension in the plantar fascia.
Wear flip flops. This type of footwear forces the feet to "claw" so as not to lose the flip-flop with each step and generates a significant increase in tension in the plantar fascia. The podiatrist's recommendation is that open summer shoes have at least some strap that holds the heel.
Walk on the beach . Although short walks on the beach have many benefits for the feet, it is not advisable to do long walks on the sand (you would have to wear sports shoes) or walk a lot if you are not very used to it since the fact of sinking in each Stepping on the sand is an overstrain that increases the tension on the fascia.

What treatment is there for plantar fasciitis?

Podiatrist Víctor Alfaro points out that it is important to distinguish two parts in the treatment of plantar fasciitis:

Acute phase. Here the treatment is focused on reducing inflammation in the area. In this phase, different pharmacological (anti-inflammatory) and physiotherapy therapies (manual therapy, shock waves, percutaneous electrolysis, laser, etc.) can be used.
Second stage. Once the area is deflated, it is very important to identify the cause of the fasciitis in order to carry out long-lasting treatment over time. This cause, for example, can be in the way of stepping, so it will be very important to make a personalized insole that reduces the stress on the plantar fascia.

On other occasions, fasciitis may be caused by a significant shortening of the posterior leg muscles and treatment should be aimed at gaining elasticity in these areas.

Are there exercises to relieve it?

Are there exercises to alleviate it?

Here are 3 simple exercises you can do at home that will help ease the pain and discomfort of plantar fasciitis:

Releases the inflamed fibers from the plantar fascia. You will need a pint bottle of water or a soda can. Place it on the floor on a towel or other non-slip surface and putting your foot on it (sitting or standing), roll it back and forth. Repeat this gesture for about 5 minutes with each foot. It is recommended that you do it at the end of the day and that the bottle is cold because that way you take advantage of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of the cold.
Stretches the structures (calves and soleus muscle) that can strain the plantar fascia. Sitting, place a towel or an elastic band under the surface of the forefoot and, holding the ends with your hands, do a bending movement, so that you bring the tip of the foot closer to the leg, keeping the knee straight. Repeat the exercise 10-15 times with each foot until completing 3-4 sets.
Strengthens the muscles of the foot to take stress off the plantar fascia. Stretch a towel on the floor and try to grab and / or drag it towards you with your toes. Do this exercise for 3-4 minutes with both feet at the same time.