Plantar fasciitis (orfasciopathy) is the painful inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is a band of connective tissue that connects your heel to the ball of your foot. The main function of the plantar fascia is to keep our joints and bones in proper position to help us push off the ground when walking, jumping.

With the inflammation of the plantar fascia, it causes heel pain, stiffness and discomfort. This frustrating foot injury can easily disrupt our daily life activities.                                                    

Causes

Here are some causes that contribute to the overuse, overstretching and bruising, hence the inflammation of your plantar fascia.

• Activities that place a lot of stress and pressure on the heel bone and the connective tissues, e.g. marathon running.
  
• Ageing – the muscles that support the arch of the foot become weaker, this leads to more stress being put on the plantar fascia.
  
• Flat-footed / high arches
  
• Overweight
  
• Weight gained during pregnancy
  
• Being on your feet for long hours, such
  
• Wearing shoes with poor arch support or stiff soles

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Symptoms

• Sharp pains around the inside of the heel and the sole of the foot
  
• Pain that tends to be worse with the first few steps after awakening
  
• Heel pain after long hours of standing
  
• Heel pain after exercise
  
• Mild swelling in the heel.

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How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis?

Resting is crucial in the recovery of your plantar fasciitis pain. In the meantime, they are some other useful ways that can help you to reduce the heel pain.

Heel Pain Support

Aircast Airheel Plantar Fasciitis Achilles Tendonitis Brace is specifically designed to provide optimal support and treat conditions associated with heel pain, plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. This sturdy strapped brace comes with two AirCells for effective heel pain relief while you walk. Click here to find out how does it work. The Aircast Airheel Plantar Fasciitis Achilles Tendonitis Kit comes with day time and night time heel support which is very cost effective.

Strassburg Night Sock

It is not easy to get a good night sleep when you suffer plantar fasciitis pain. The Strassburg Plantar Fasciitis Night Sock is designed to stretch the plantar fascia by ‘pulling’ your toes upwards towards your knees, this will encourage the tissue to repair and heal while you are asleep. Besides, the night sock is not clunky comparable to plantar fasciitis night splint and won’t cause too much disruption to your sleep.

Plantar Fasciitis Night Splint

Designed to alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis, Plantar Fasciitis Night Splint is made of soft velour-lined foam padding that provides optimal comfort and support. 

The adjustable dorsiflexion straps hold the foot in a comfortable & controlled angle. Wear it overnight for effective treatment of plantar fasciitis. It prolongs the stretch, held the plantar fascia in a better position for healing, reduces the pain of the first step after getting out of bed. It is light weighted and won't disturb your sleep.

Shoe Insoles

Choose a good pair of shoe insoles that have shock-absorbing ‘pods’ to provide support to different areas of the foot, with a cushioning system which provides total comfort for sufferers.

Foot Massager ( Muscleeze Massage Roller)

This simple design massage roller is light weight and durable, it is designed to allow user to self manage muscular and plantar fascia tightness to release it from tension.

It offers good pain relief for plantar fasciitis. The many ridges of the massage roller help to better target and penetrate sore and knotted areas in a more precise way, and provides massage until the muscle is relaxed.This massage effect increases circulation and stimulates the muscles helping you to stretch and exercise effectively as well as providing relief to muscular pain.

Plantar Fasciitis Taping/ Strapping

This can be a good alternative to help relieve Plantar Fasciitis pain. Plantar fasciitis taping stabilizes and restrict the movement of fascia ligament, to avoid it from being over stretch and strain excessively. It also helps to remove the pressure from the painful area where the tape is applied to.

Plantar fasciitis taping takes the pressure off the painful area by gently ‘lifting’ the upper layers of your own skin, to promote blood flow, supply of oxygen and nutrients to injured tissue. This leads to reduce of inflammation. Both Spidertech Kinesiology tape and Rock Tape are great for Plantar fasciitis taping/ strapping

Regular medical or athletic tape can also be used for Plantar Fasciitis taping, it helps to prevent the pain in the short term, but not treating it as it doesn’t have the ‘lifting’ effect on the painful area. To have more effective result, it is recommended to apply plantar fasciitis taping/ strapping in addition to other treatment methods. 

The information above is general in nature and is only intended to provide a summary of the subject matter covered. It is not a substitute for medical advice and you should always consult a trained professional practising in the area of sports medicine in relation to any injury. You use or rely on the information above at your own risk and no party involved in the production of this resource accepts any responsibility for the information contained within it or your use of that information.