What causes Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis causes pain under your heel. Repeated small injuries to the fascia are thought to be the cause of plantar fasciitis. The injury is usually near to where the plantar fascia attaches to your heel bone.
You are more likely to injure your plantar fascia in certain situations. For example:
- If you are on your feet for a lot of the time, or if you do lots of walking, running, standing, etc, when you are not used to it. Also, people with a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to plantar fasciitis.
- If you have recently started exercising on a different surface – for example, running on the road instead of a track.
- If you have been wearing shoes with poor cushioning or poor arch support.
- If you are overweight – this will put extra strain on your heel.
- If there is overuse or sudden stretching of your sole. For example: athletes who increase running intensity or distance; poor technique starting ‘off the blocks’, etc.
- If you have a tight Achilles tendon (the big tendon at the bottom of your calf muscles above your heel). This can affect your ability to flex your ankle and make you more likely to damage your plantar fascia.
Treatment in the first instance includes good supportive footwear, heel pads, painkillers, exercises and rest. Come and talk to us if you suspect you may have plantar fasciitis – we have helped many people like you!