If your first steps of the morning generate pain at your heel, you might have plantar faciitis. Left untreated, this can become a chronic condition. To accommodate the pain, you might change the way you walk, and that can lead to problems the whole way up from your foot to your hip.
What is it?
Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury that affects the sole of the foot by inflaming the tough tissue connecting the heel bone to the base of the toes.
Who gets it?
According the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, you’re more likely to suffer from plantar fasciitis if you are female, are overweight, have a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces, run or walk for exercise, have tight calf muscles that limit how far you can flex your ankles, or have very flat feet or very high arches.
How is it treated?
Apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes three or four times a day, take anti-inflammatory medication and stay off your foot until the initial inflamma-tion subsides. After that, regular foot stretching exercises reduce the chance of recurrence. In severe cases, taping the foot or wearing a walking cast could help, and if it persists, surgery is occasionally necessary.
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