If you have plantar fasciitis, you already know about the foot pain this condition can cause. The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs from your heels to your toes, and if it becomes inflamed, this can cause the symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis usually causes stabbing pain in the heels, and it’s usually worse upon waking up.
While some contributing factors can be difficult to eliminate — such as having a job that requires you to stand on your feet all day — other things may be within your control.
So let’s discuss which habits can make plantar fasciitis symptoms worse.
What causes plantar fasciitis to flare up?
It’s different for every person. The pain you feel from plantar fasciitis is located on the inner part of the heel and there’s several different activities and factors that can aggravate plantar fasciitis.
Activities that can aggravate Plantar Fasciitis include:
–Running, walking or standing a lot in unsupportive shoes
–Running, walking or standing on hard surfaces like concrete
–Carrying a heavy object or gaining weight
–Increasing your running or walking volumes too suddenly
–If the other muscles in your legs are weak
–If the muscles along the back of your legs are excessively tight (glutes, hamstrings, calves)
Now that you learned what activities can aggravate your Plantar Fasciitis let’s go over a couple other factors in your life that can make your symptoms feel worse.
Ignoring your weight
Most of us know that maintaining a healthy weight is important for our overall health. But, you may not know that being overweight or obese is a significant factor in developing plantar fasciitis.
It can also worsen plantar fasciitis symptoms because the excess weight can put more strain on the plantar fascia.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, even a modest loss of 10% of your body weight can provide enormous health benefits if you’re overweight.
Wearing unsupported shoes.
Another factor that can make your plantar fasciitis feel worse is not wearing supportive shoes.
If you have plantar fasciitis, you should wear supportive shoes as often as possible.
Good supportive shoes will have cushioning to cradle your foot properly, and they’ll have plenty of room for your toes to move freely.
You should avoid shoes that put a lot of pressure on your feet, such as high heels. You should also avoid wearing cheap flip flops, which usually lack sufficient arch support.
You should also wear supportive shoes if you have flat feet or high arches, which are conditions that can increase your risk of developing plantar fasciitis or make the condition worse.
Furthermore, you should wear supportive shoes if you’re a runner. Runners have a higher risk of developing plantar fasciitis or making it worse because of the pounding their feet take.
Sitting & standing for long periods of time.
This one is an obvious one. Sitting or standing for long periods of time can make your plantar fasciitis feel exponentially worse!
While you may not be able to control how often you have to stand or sit while you’re at work, you should try to change positions often and take breaks as frequently as you can. And, when you’re in environments where you have control over how often you can stand, try not to stay in one position too long- move around, sit down, and change positions.
Pushing through the pain.
If your plantar fasciitis flares up, don’t push through the pain. Doing so could make your condition worse.
Trying to push through the pain could cause you to try and compensate by standing in unnatural positions, and this could cause you to develop problems in your back, hip, and knees as well.
Not stretching or using supports.
Stretching your feet before going for a walk or a run is essential if you have plantar fasciitis. You need to warm up all of your ligaments before you exercise, including the ligaments in your feet.
In addition, if you’ve been prescribed orthotic inserts or a brace to wear, you need to be faithful in using these. They can help a great deal in lessening flare-ups and pain.
Final Thoughts
As you’ve read, there are a lot of activities and factors that can cause a flare up of pain when it comes to your plantar fasciitis. The best way to avoid these flare ups is to get proper treatment, because if left untreated, plantar fasciitis can limit your daily activities and change the way you walk.
So, if you’re ready to get back on the right path and out of pain, Eagle Rock Medical Center, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, offers innovative & promising treatments for Plantar Fasciitis.
We help you identify factors that are causing your heel pain, such as poor biomechanics, improper footwear, weak or tight muscles, and excessive weight. We make sure that you leave our clinic symptom-free, with a complete understanding of what caused your condition and what to do to avoid a recurrence.
To learn more about your treatment options, contact us online or over the phone today. We’ll be there with you every step of the way!