How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis
May 27th, 2010 by admin
Plantar fasciitis is a medical condition that occurs when the fibrous band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot becomes injured, inflammed, stretched or torn. The area that normally serves to absorb the physical shock of walking or running now causes tremendous pain along the bottom of the foot and the heel.
Individuals suffering from plantar fasciitis can experience everything from an occasional throb of pain to pain severe enough that it limits standing, walking or physical activity for several weeks. In some cases, plantar fasciitis can only be relieved by surgery. Most people who experience the pain of plantar fasciitis are anxious to prevent another occurrence from ever happening again. After all the ice packs, rest, pain medication and exercises to stretch the feet, most people in their search to discover how to prevent plantar fasciitis, will discover that wearing improperly fitting shoes, shoes that offer the foot little to no arch support, remains one of the leading causes of plantar fasciitis.
Wearing an insert in shoes to relieve any pressure put on the arch of the foot is a good beginning. An investment in custom molded orthotics can help to prevent plantar fasciitis from happening again and putting the individual out of commission for several weeks. But an even better preventative measure against plantar fasciits is purchasing a new pair of footwear ergonomically designed to prevent stress and pressure from causing injury to the plantar fascia band of muscles.
Wearing the proper shoe to match your physical activity is also important in preventing plantar fasciitis. That means not running in walking shoes, jogging in worn out running shoes, or wearing high heels for extended periods of time or when you know you’ll be on your feet on day.
New Balance Shoes are a good example of properly designed footware that eliminate or at least greatly reduce an individual’s risk of getting plantar fasciitis. Both men and women’s New Balance walking and running shoes are designed to provide stability to the soles of the feet when the foot is in motion in addition to providing enough support to offer motion control that prevents unwelcome stress and strain on the arch of the foot.
Many foot doctors recommend a regimen of calf exercises to help keep the calf muscles flexible enough to bend the foot, in addition to foot strengthening exercises such as picking up marbles between the toes. Exercise combined with wearing proper footware such as New Balance Shoes are both excellent investments of time and money toward preventing plantar fasciitis.
