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Plantar Fasciitis & Back Pain

Plantar fasciitis is a foot injury that causes heel pain. This condition puts pressure on your back due to changes in your walking and running motion. Eventually, the excess pressure on your back from plantar fasciitis causes back pain.

  1. Identification

    • There is a tissue at the bottom of the feet called the plantar fascia that connects the heel with the toes. When the plantar fascia becomes injured, it causes heel pain.

    Symptoms

    • The heel pain from plantar fasciitis is sometimes so sharp that there is no way to keep your walking and running gait from changing. Changes in your gait, if not corrected, inevitably result in back pain.

    Mitigation

    • Ibuprofen and naproxen lessen back and heel pain, but they do nothing to fix the underlying problem.

    Solution

    • Perform physical therapy exercises that increase the strength of your lower leg muscles and ankles to help to relieve the load from your heel. Wearing orthotics in your shoes help distribute the pressure on the feet evenly.

    Prevention

    • Lowering your weight helps relieve pressure on the plantar fascia. When choosing a shoe, pick one that is supportive and absorbs shock. If you're a runner, replace your shoes after every 500 miles.

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