Plantar fasciitis is commonly referred to as heel pain, and it affects thousands of Australians daily. In fact, it’s one of the most recurrent foot complaints in the nation. In most cases, sufferers of plantar fasciitis experience sharp and jarring pains in their heels when they first stand up after waking up in the morning. Often, this sharp heel pain becomes milder throughout the day but can be extremely uncomfortable for those who don’t seek plantar fasciitis treatment.

Plantar fasciitis can arise for many reasons, but they’re usually concerned with strain injuries that cause micro tears to the ligaments in your heel. In this article, we’ll explain the symptoms and causes of plantar fasciitis in more detail as well as discuss some of the most effective plantar fasciitis treatment options:

What exactly is Plantar Fasciitis?

The term ‘plantar fasciitis’ is Latin for “inflammation of the plantar fascia.” Inside your heel, there is a thick ligament that stretches from your heel bone to your toes under your foot. This fibrous ligament is called the plantar fascia, and its primary function is to act as a natural shock absorber. Essentially, it helps prevent impacts from causing injuries.

Because your plantar fascia has limited ability to elongate due to its lack of elasticity, injuries are common. The ligament can tear when you place too much traction on it, leading to inflammation, irritation and painful symptoms. This is what’s known as plantar fasciitis.

Unfortunately, plantar fasciitis can last for months or even years if left untreated, though symptoms can start to subside after just a few weeks if you seek treatment for plantar fasciitis pain.

What is a Heel Spur?

Heel spurs are often associated with plantar fasciitis, which is why, if you experience heel pain, you should find a suitable treatment for plantar fasciitis without delay. Our plantar fasciitis foot support has helped relieve painful symptoms for countless people over the years, but there are other treatments available that you might want to discuss with your doctor.

If you have a bony growth near the underside of your heel bone, you may have a heel spur (calcaneal spur). Heel spurs often develop when your body responds to the traction that’s caused by your heel bone being pulled away from your plantar fascia ligament. Because the ligament doesn’t stretch, the bone will grow to ‘assist’ your ligament, resulting in a spur. Therefore, a plantar fasciitis heel support can help prevent heel spurs from becoming an issue in the first place.

What are the symptoms, why is the pain worse in the morning or after sitting?

Usually, plantar fasciitis causes pain near the underside of your heel’s centre. You may experience pain near the sides or front of your heel’s underside. Because our ligaments and muscles tighten and shorten during sleep and while we rest, plantar fasciitis is often most painful when standing up after getting out of bed or sitting down for a long time. When you suddenly place weight on your tightened, irritated ligament, you may feel a stabbing pain because the tissue surrounding the ligament will be extremely sensitive. The right plantar fasciitis support can bear some of the weight placed on your ligament to help relieve pain.

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms and Treatment: Preventing Sharp Morning Pain

To prevent the sudden sharp pain in the morning or after sitting, it is important to give the feet a little warm-up first with some simple exercises. Also, any barefoot walking should be avoided, especially first thing in the morning, as this will damage to the plantar fascia tissue and diminish the effectiveness of your plantar fasciitis treatment.

Apart from pain in the heel or foot, symptoms may include a mild swelling under the heel. In addition, heel pain is often associated with tightness in the calf muscles. Tight calf muscles are a major contributing factor to Plantar Fasciitis.