Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain in adults more so in women. It is caused by inflammation at the origin of plantar fascia over the inner half of the heel.
HOW TO IDENTIFY PLANTAR FASCIITIS- presence of heel pain in the inner half of the heel, more in early morning, the first step being most painful which gets better as the day progresses. Over a period of time, this pain becomes chronic and the patient might experience pain throughout the day.
RISK FACTORS- Being overweight/obese, prolonged standing, athletic activities, walking barefoot, having hard and cracked soles.
HOW TO MANAGE AT HOME- Avoid walking barefoot even indoors. Use appropriate sized sandals/shoes with arch support, soft sole and heel raise. Try losing weight if you are overweight/obese. Soak your feet in warm water if your soles are hard and apply moisturizer to the hard margins of the sole. Perform plantar fascia stretching exercises using a towel/tennis ball/frozen water bottle. Apply pain relief spray.
WHEN TO SEEK HELP- In case the problem continues even after following this advice, your condition has most probably become chronic. So consult an orthopedic surgeon to explore other appropriate alternative therapy which might include shockwave in the form of ESWT or injections in the form of PRP/ steroids for long term pain relief.