Recovering From Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful heel condition that involves the inflammation and deterioration of the plantar fascia tissue in your foot. It can make walking painful and get worse as the day goes on, and it's a condition that no one wants to live with. Treatment for plantar fasciitis is mostly non-invasive, although injections and possibly surgery are options for more severe cases that do not respond to initial treatments. Regardless of the treatments you need, you can recover and return to normal activities, but you must be careful.
You Can Recover Completely if You Follow Your Treatment Plan
Your initial treatment plan will likely consist of rest, corrective stretches, mild pain-relieving medication, and special footwear or shoe inserts. This usually helps most people, but if you want to be in that group, you must follow your treatment plan. Don't think that just one day in fancy footwear without the inserts will be OK; be strict about this. If your foot doesn't respond within several weeks, more intense therapy is possible, including injections. It's much easier on you and your feet to follow the initial plan carefully. By the way, surgery for the condition is not common, but it can be necessary if nothing else works.
Avoid Conditions That Promote Flareups
Once you've recovered, you must avoid the conditions that could promote flare-ups if possible. If not possible because you developed the condition from standing on your feet all day, take whatever steps will reduce the chances of a flareup. Wear very good shoes with insoles meant to help avoid plantar fasciitis, for example. Take breaks when you can and sit down. It's also important that you take care of yourself in general, as your overall health will help your body heal and stay in better condition.
Be Careful With Your Footwear
You're going to have to change your footwear, not only for the duration of treatment but also afterwards, to prevent the condition from returning. While plantar fasciitis is not always caused by footwear type, what you wear can aggravate the condition. Look for shoes that have very good heel cushioning and stable construction; if you like to wear high heels, restrict wearing them to special occasions. Unfortunately, frequent high heel usage may contribute to another flareup of the plantar fasciitis. Ensure your foot arches are fully supported, and look into changing your exercise routine if possible, to do more foot-friendly workouts.
You don't have to live with plantar fasciitis, and you can recover fully. The key is being very strict about your treatment plan and creating an environment for your feet that helps protect them and avoid flare-ups.
Contact a clinic like Sydney City Podiatry to learn more about plantar fasciitis.