Sandals and flip-flops may seem like good choices for footwear year round here in Arizona. However, your feet may not thank you for it. Many different conditions can be made worse by wearing improper shoes with no support. This can even include heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation to the plantar fascia in the bottom of the foot. This thick band of tissue takes the brunt of all the force you put on it throughout each day. It can become overworked through excessive pressure due to being overweight, extremely physically active, having high arches, and wearing shoes that don’t offer arch support. If your feet hurt worse in the morning, or after resting, you are probably experiencing plantar fasciitis. If you are still questioning what is causing your heel pain you should probably go to the doctor to get a correct diagnosis.
Treating plantar fasciitis can be pretty simple if caught early. You can make a few simple changes and hopefully that will be enough to fix the problem. One of the first things you need to do is rest your feet. Then consider your footwear choices. If you are constantly wearing heels, sandals, or even going barefoot you probably want to rethink your options. There are many different shoes out there that offer support in the arches where you need it most. You can even get a shoe insert or a custom-made orthotic to offer you support that is unique to your foot. After you’ve got your shoes taken care of you might want to think about different stretching techniques. Strengthening your calves and arches is very important in treating plantar fasciitis. If these don’t work your doctor may have to administer corticosteroid injections or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (using sound waves to promote healing). If still there is no change, surgery may be your only option.
Call Dr. Peyman Elison and Dr. Viedra Elison at (623) 584-5556 to schedule a consultation with us at Fixing Feet Institute in Surprise, AZ. We are here to answer all of your questions and get you back to being heel pain-free!
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