Plantar Fasciitis
Runners injury
Do you run Marathons?
Beware of ... The Plantar Fasciitis Monster
Ouch! Sharp pain stabs the inside of your heel (and sometimes the arch) when your foot hits the ground with the first few steps after awakening or prolonged sitting. This pain gradually improves with walking around. During your run, you might have pain initially, which then decreases. This pain might then recur at the end of a strenuous workout. You keep trying to run through it until any weight bearing activity becomes painful, and jumping and running are impossible. The plantar fasciitis monster has struck! ****
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of localized heel pain. In a study of 232 injured runners, 7% had plantar fasciitis. Last year at the Seattle Marathon,(ranked by Runners World Magazine as one of the top 20 marathons in the United States and one of the largest mass-participation runs on the West Coast,) 2500 people ran /walked in the Marathon; so, if 7 % get plantar fasciitis then 175 people suffered from the condition.
Plantar fasciitis is the second most common injury for runners, the first being runner's knee, (patellofemoral syndrome). (See article about Patellafemoral syndrome in July 2008 Metamorphic Massage newsletter.)
TREATMENTS FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS:
Proper management of Plantar fasciitis includes:
* Therapeutic massage to reduce secondary muscle spasm and improve fascial flexibility
* Strengthening and Stretching including towel curls with the toes.
(For other stretches ask Nikki at your next massage appointment)
* Stretching, warm-up , and proper shoe selection
* Taping / orthotics to decrease the pressure on the fascia; and, avoid going barefoot
* Use of anti-inflammatory measures:
- Icing 30-60- minutes several times a day and 15 minutes after activity.
- Medications: anti-inflammatory tablets; if necessary, cortisone injection
* Rest - fascia heals extremely slowly.
CAUSES OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS:
- Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation, or collagen degeneration, of the plantar fascia, the shock absorber band of fibrous connective tissue that spans the bottom of the foot from the heel to the ball.
- Pain occurs when the fascia that has been shortened gets stretched. Runners, especially when they are fatigued, repeatedly put tension on the fascia which causes an overload, resulting in inflammation at the point where the fascia is attached to the heel bone, causing pain.
- The inflammation can cause bone spurs to develop resulting in added pain.
Factors that contribute to the development of Plantar fasciitis are:
* pronated (flat)feet, ( pes planus)
* high arched rigid feet,( pes cavus)
* poor shoe support, (when not running, wearing high heel shoes or boots, or steel shanked construction boots)
* Hypertonicity in the calf muscles
* hill running /toe running,
* change in terrain (running on pavement or soft terrain like grass or sand)
* increasing age
* sudden weight gain (like in pregnancy) - because it may breakdown the fat pad under the heel
* sudden increase in activity level (like military recruits)
* family tendency.
For more information see The Plantar Fasciitis Monster by Allison Andrews Boldridge on the internet.
