What Is Plantar Fascia?

The plantar fascia is the thick band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes. When the tissue becomes inflamed, it causes a sharp, stabbing pain in the heel of the foot called plantar fascitis.

Causes

• The plantar fascia acts as a bowstring to support the arches. If the tissue gets stretched too much, the plantar fascia can tear and become inflamed and irritated.

Symptoms

• Heel pain caused by an inflamed plantar fascia usually occurs first thing in the morning and will dissipate throughout the day. The pain may be mild at first, but it can become chronic without proper treatment.

Duration of Symptoms

• With proper treatment, the symptoms of an inflamed plantar fascia will improve over two months.

Home Treatment for an Inflamed Plantar Fascia

• The most common treatments are resting the sore foot, taking ibuprofen, and performing some simple foot exercises that stretch the sore tissue. If the pain persists longer than two months, or if it worsens, then a physician and a physical therapist will need to be consulted.

Prevention of Inflammation of the Plantar Fascia

• Maintaining a healthy weight, wearing supportive shoes, and not exercising in worn out exercise shoes help prevent inflammation to the plantar fascia.