There is no feeling worse than feeling stinging pain along the bottom surface of your feet as you take the first few steps out of bed. That’s plantar fasciitis, a well-documented foot problem, especially in the sporting and fitness community.
Understanding Plantar Fasciitis
There are many types of foot problems a person may experience, and plantar fasciitis is one of the more common ones. Plantar fasciitis is when the plantar fascia ligament, which is attached to the heel bone, is excessively stretched, causing pain and inflammation in the bottom of the foot. The pain can get severe depending on factors such as age, weight, any existing foot problems, poor body posture, and more.
Because of the inflammation and pain caused by plantar fasciitis, people want to seek immediate pain relief. It’s worth understanding that plantar fasciitis is often caused due to repetitive stress on the plantar fascia ligament which causes it to stretch and elongate beyond its normal range. The pain is typically most severe at the heel bone, followed by the arch of the foot.
Impact of Foot Posture
Plantar fasciitis caused by flat feet is common. All the 33 joints in the foot have a purpose and healthy range of motion that allows for proper foot movements. These joints move smoothly when each bone is in its correct posture.
That, however, is not always the case, which is why foot posture plays a significant role in the development of plantar fasciitis. Simply put, faulty foot structure will cause faulty movement.
Now as the function of the plantar fascia ligament is to support the arch of the foot, unhealthy foot posture will mean the plantar fascia will either elongate or contract. So if you have a flatfoot posture, there is hypermobility in the foot joints, which causes the foot arch to collapse under bodyweight. This stretches the plantar fascia and over time, can lead to the development of plantar fasciitis.
Mechanics of the Feet
The Windlass Mechanism helps describe the reaction of the plantar fascia as the foot arch collapses. The plantar fascia attempt to prevent or correct the arch when it collapses. This is known as the windlass which refers to tightening of a rope-like structure as the plantar fascia tightens and pulls from the origin and insertion point.
Now, in reality, the plantar fascia isn’t strong enough to hold up to the upward ground section forces and the downward bodyweight force, which eventually forces the arch to collapse. The plantar fascia, however, continues to contract, pulling on the origin and insertion points. Over time, chronic spasms, inflammation, and repetitive stress can damage the plantar fascia and also lead to the development of heel spur.
Generally, patients show up for diagnosis when the heel spur starts to form as it causes severe pain. A complete physical examination is necessary to conclude whether plantar fasciitis is caused by one or multiple symptoms.
A comprehensive treatment programme generally involves rest, massage therapy, strengthening exercises, and use of foot insoles.
Foot insoles for plantar fasciitis treatment should support the corrected foot arch. MASS4D® insoles help in providing the greatest corrective support that removes excess stress on the plantar fascia, allowing it to heal properly.
MASS4D® foot insoles offer arch support, which means the foot arch will be maintained in its corrected posture at all times. This limits any hypermobility which may cause damage to the plantar fascia.
In addition, MASS4D® provides a strong base to improve alignment from the feet up, with patients experiencing visual changes from the first week of use.
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