One of the more common foot problems is something called Plantar Fasciitis or the painful inflammation of the area where the heel connects to your toe bones. Most painful early in the morning, plantar fasciitis may lessen over the day, but return later.

Common in runners whose feet pound hard surfaces and thereby stressing the area which connects the toes bones to the heel or plantar fascia, it is not limited to runners. Other athletes who pound their feet on hard surfaces like basketball players or tennis players can also develop this as well as people who are obese.

Risk factors for Plantar Fasciitis include:

Age – often seen in people between 40 and 60 years of age.
Exercises – Ballet dancing, running, gymnastics, basketball, tennis and other similar activities.
Obesity – being overweight.
Genetics – certain types of inherited feet can be prone to overstressing this part of the foot.
Specific occupations – anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet such as teachers, police officers, construction workers, and others.

To help avoid Plantar fasciitis you can make sure you have well-cushioned shoes, reduce your activities, stretch your feet to build up your arch support and wear specific doctor recommended supportive orthotics.

While you may be able to diagnose this yourself, it is best to see a podiatrist to determine the proper treatment for your condition. If left untreated, Plantar Fasciitis can lead to more serious problems with walking and balance.

Ways to treat Plantar Fasciitis include:

Physical therapy – A trained therapist can teach you to strengthen the muscles and loosen the plantar fascia to alleviate the pain and strengthen the foot.
Orthotics – doctor prescribed orthotics can be used to stretch your arch.
Night splints – Also a doctor recommended splint work overnight to stretch the arch of your foot.
Surgery – includes the removal of the inflamed area.
Cortisone shots – pain medicine injected into the foot by the doctor.

If you believe you have Plantar Fasciitis or have any other concerns about your feet, make an appointment with Dr. Anant Joshi of Advanced Footcare of NJ LLC . Call us at (973) 256-0002. We are located at 1031 McBride Avenue, Suite D-105, Woodland Park, NJ, 07424. You can also contact us at our email advancedfootcare1031@outlook.com.