Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain and often occurs in people who use their feet too much, such as runners. It can occur in one foot or both feet at the same time. What exactly is plantar fasciitis? The body’s fat pad under the heel bone covers a fascial structure called the plantar fascia. It links the toes to the heel bone, cushions the foot from impact when it hits the ground, and is an important structure for maintaining the arch of the foot. When the plantar fascia is continuously stretched, a slight tear will occur, resulting in swelling, inflammation, and pain at the bottom of the foot when standing or walking, which is called plantar fasciitis. Causes of plantar fasciitis 1, congenital factors (excessive inward turning of the foot when walking, high arched feet or flat feet, Achilles tendon or calf muscle tightness, poor ankle flexibility, etc.). 2.Excessive activity or inappropriate activity (such as walking, running and standing for a long time, especially on hard surfaces and steep slopes, and suddenly increasing the difficulty and time of running). 3. Excessive weight or ill-fitting shoes. Main manifestations of plantar fasciitis Most people with plantar fasciitis are prone to pain on the first step off the ground when they get up or on the first step when they start walking after a long period of sitting, with some stiffness and pain on the next few steps. Without proper treatment and rest, these pains can get progressively worse and are exacerbated by climbing stairs or standing for long periods of time. Even more frightening is that if the condition progresses further and the heel pain gets progressively worse, the patient may try to relieve the pain by changing the way they walk, which may eventually lead to discomfort and pain in the feet, legs, hips, or back, and day-to-day activities or sports may become even more limited, and may eventually become painful with any weight-bearing activity, resulting in the inability to engage in running and jumping sports, which can be a recipe for disaster for runners! . How to prevent plantar fasciitis 1, learn to take good care of your feet, wear shoes with arch support and heel cushioning, maintain a healthy weight for your height, wear sneakers when you get up and get off the floor, and stand on thick rubber mats to minimize the pressure on the soles of your feet during long hours of standing work. 2, it is recommended to do some stretching or massage exercise every day, to develop good exercise habits, before running and jumping exercise must stretch the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel, and gradually increase the level of exercise. For runners, if you can combine running with other sports, it is less likely to lead to plantar fasciitis. Running alone is more likely to lead to plantar fasciitis. How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis Once plantar fasciitis has occurred, it is important to receive proper treatment. The goal of treatment for this condition is to reduce inflammation and pain in the plantar fascia, promote healing of minor tears in the plantar fascia, and correct the deformity of the foot in order to return to normal activity. In general, treatment started immediately when symptoms are first noticed is more successful and results in a faster recovery than if treatment is delayed. There are many ways to treat symptoms when they first appear, as described below: 1. Rest your foot well and limit or stop the activities that are causing your heel pain. 2.Try to avoid running or walking on hard surfaces, such as concrete floors, and run more on plastic tracks. 3.Ice your heel during acute attacks to reduce inflammation and relieve pain, perform alternating hot water immersion and cold water immersion, try immersion in cold water when hot water makes symptoms worse; if cold water is not very helpful after 2 to 3 days of use, try hot water immersion again. 4, you can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example: ibuprofen or diclofenac), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs oral or topical action can be directed to the affected area, eliminating local inflammation. However, when using drugs, be sure to read and comply with the contents of the manual, safe use of drugs. 5. Wear shoes with good shock absorption and arch support. Sneakers with air cushions or elastic insoles and shoes with good cushioning are usually the best choice. 6. Buy heel pads or orthopedic shoes to help relieve heel strike, and use them on both sides at the same time (even if only one foot hurts). 7, Wearing a nighttime brace gently stretches the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, preventing metatarsal fascia contracture at night. 8, when getting up must wear shoes down to the ground, barefoot or wearing slippers will make your pain symptoms worse. 9.Doing simple toe and calf stretches when you get up in the morning can help the ligaments become more elastic to support the arch of the foot. 10, The technique of extracorporeal shock wave therapy uses pulsed sound waves to increase blood flow, which can promote neovascularization at the junction of bone and tendon, increase local blood flow, and accelerate the regression of local inflammation, and can be used to treat plantar fasciitis. 11, the use of acupuncture, massage and traditional Chinese medicine fumigation methods, soothe the tendons and activate the blood and pain, can also play a role in the treatment of the disease. Most people can be cured within a year of the disease, but 5% of patients may eventually need to undergo surgery. With the above knowledge, our runners will be able to prevent plantar fasciitis from occurring or developing, and maintain a comfortable, enjoyable workout and a healthier body.