There is a tissue in your foot that runs from your heel bone to your toes and when this tissue becomes inflamed, it is called plantar fasciitis.
What Can Cause Plantar Fasciitis?
The fascia, or the thick band of tissue can become stretched and due to its inflexibility, when pressure is added to it by stepping down repeatedly, tears and ruptures can occur resulting in pain.
Symptoms
A common symptom of plantar fasciitis is heel pain but can also be accompanied by:
- Heel pain that is worse in the morning and may gradually feel better as the day goes on
- Pain after standing on your feet for long bouts of time
- Pain occurring upon standing after resting
- Pain when you extend toes
- Swelling
Diagnosis
If your heel pain has lasted more than a few weeks, it’s best to speak with an orthopedic specialist to discuss your symptoms so they can evaluate your condition and provide you with the best treatment options. With plantar fasciitis, stabbing heel pain is the most common symptom and can be extremely painful so if your symptoms have been persistent, don’t hesitate to reach out to your physician.
As heel pain can be caused by a number of reasons, your physician will order tests such as imaging to rule out any fractures in the heel.
What Happens To The Heel If Left Untreated?
There is the possibility for calcium deposits to build up on your heel and as they grow larger, with each step you take, the pain becomes increasingly worse. These heel spurs however are very much preventable if you address your symptoms with your physician early on and address your plantar fasciitis.
If you participate in activities such as running or other sports and let this condition go untreated, there is the potential for a plantar rupture due to the excess impact of the physical strain you are placing on the heel without having treated the underlying condition. This can also occur if you do not wear shoes that fit you properly.
If you rupture the fascia, you will hear a loud popping sound followed with extreme pain and bruising on the foot. When this occurs it will also be difficult to bear weight on the foot as well. If you feel that you have ruptured your fascia, contact your physician immediately. Treatment for this type of injury may require you to wear a boot on your foot and to rest your foot.
A condition called plantar fibromatosis is when nodules begin to slowly grow along the plantar fascia. The nodules grow slowly at first and then rapid and increase in pain and make walking difficult.
If plantar fasciitis is left untreated, it can lead to other issues in the body. While heel pain can make walking difficult, it can also cause an imbalance in the way you walk resulting in pain in the back or other areas of the body. If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, contact our Atlanta chiropractors today at (404) 889-8828 to find out how we can help provide you with total body wellness.