Plantar fasciitis is an ailment resulted by serious or abrupt increases in mileage, unfit running shoes, and poor foot structure, which can overburden the plantar fascia (the connective tissue that runs from the heel to the toes base), causing heel pain. The plantar fascia apparently looks like a series of fat elastic bands, however, it is made of collagen – a rigid protein that’s not too stretchy. The pressure of over pronation or overused shoes can create tiny tears in it, resulting in heel pain and inflammation, also known as plantar fasciitis.
Prevention and treatment of plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis can be discomforting which deteriorates and becomes more difficult to treat the longer this condition persists. To ward off plantar fasciitis, run on smooth surfaces, keep mileage increments to under 10 percent for every week, and wear the best possible shoes as per your foot type and gait. Your running shoe should offer you a lot of arch support. As a matter of fact, this is important to the extent that some running shoe retailers even advertise a special plantar fasciitis shoe. Correcting your posture with a posture corrector is helpful also to make sure your gait is the best it can be while walking. You can learn about arch support here.
Determine the right shoe
No two people have the same foot structure, therefore finding the right shoe size should be done individually. So let’s get to know how to determine the ideal shoe for foot problems, including plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.
If you’re someone with heel pain, the first thing while shopping for a shoe you must look for is a firm foot sole counter. The foot sole counter is the back part of the shoe that encloses around your heel bone and regulates pronation & supination. Extreme supination and pronation are major reasons for plantar fasciitis. Make sure to press the heel area to check if it is durable and firm. If it crumples, it is not the appropriate shoe and will most probably hurt your foot and ankle.
Next, you must check if the shoe is flexible. Hold the shoe’s heel and toe using both your hands. Try twisting the shoe’s sole in the middle. If the sole refuses to bend and breaks in the middle, you better avoid buying it. The right sole will bend gradually offering a very swift resistance. This is required to put up with the hundreds of miles you will cover while wearing the shoes.
The next feature you must search for is a raised heel and rocker sole. The heel should ideally be an inch high; this will deviate a bit of the weight off of your painful heels. With regards to the rocker sole, you can test the shoe by placing it on a flat surface and stressing on the toe. A shoe with the rocker sole will rock onwards in a rolling direction. The more it rocks, the better it will treat your plantar fasciitis.
You should never purchase a shoe with a neutral or flat heel. This shoe type will restore the load bearing of your foot onto your heels, consequently resulting in more weight and worsening the problem. Ensure that the shoes for plantar fasciitis offer enough padding to take in the effect when your heels touch the ground.