You've likely heard that losing weight is one of the most effective ways to ease painful feet. While it is true that reducing pressure on your joints and ligaments helps, it is possible that your new exercise routine has contributed to your foot pain. In many cases, people start out with an exercise routine that is too hard for their fitness level, and it is possible that your new workout has led to foot strain. Fortunately, you can use these tips to improve plantar fasciitis so that you can meet your fitness goals.
Make Sure It's Plantar Fasciitis
The first thing you need to do is make sure that you know what is really going on. Other foot conditions can sometimes lead to similar symptoms that include pain in the arch and heel of your foot. For instance, you might have bone spurs that you did not feel until you began to do more weight-bearing exercises. A podiatrist will take their time to do a full assessment of your foot health so that you treat the actual problem.
Wear Supportive Footwear
One of the easier ways to improve plantar fasciitis is to wear supportive footwear. Try to avoid anything with a heel for the time being, and look for shoes that hug your feet. The ideal shoes would also have laces that allow you to adjust the level of tightness. Your doctor can help you find orthotic inserts to correct common problems with pronation or flat arches.
Learn Therapeutic Exercises
Physical therapy is an option that you may need to use if your plantar fasciitis does not respond to basic at-home treatments. Special exercises can help to strengthen your plantar fascia and Achilles tendons. Once you learn them, you can add them to your current exercise routine to help prevent pain from arising in the future.
Explore Medical Treatments
Foot doctors also use a variety of medical treatments to help ease this type of pain. You might need a special brace to wear at night that holds your foot in a position that reduces strain on the plantar fascia. Some people benefit from medicine such as NSAIDs and steroid injections. In the most severe scenarios, surgery can be performed that alleviates the pain. However, this is usually used as a final resort after all other methods have failed to give relief. In most cases, foot pain goes away once you begin to treat the issues that are causing the strain.
Reach out to businesses like the Advanced Foot Clinic to learn more about dealing with plantar fasciitis.
Share18 December 2019
After suffering a traumatic foot and ankle injury, I wasn't sure how to move forward. I wanted to make things right, but the issue was so significant that I needed surgery. After surgery, I was still struggling, so a friend of mine suggested working with a podiatrist in addition to my foot and ankle surgeon. It was an excellent experience, and it felt like I had truly made some strides in the right direction. On this website, I wanted to talk about how podiatrists can help you to get your feet fixed, and how making the right choices can significantly improve your quality of life.
