Plantar Fasciitis Is a Real Pain: symptoms, treatment and prevention | Tennis4Life
The pain starts when you wake up — a stab in your heel when you get out of bed, an ache when you put weight on your foot. The condition is persistent and common; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 10 percent of people get it.
Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tight band of tissue on the bottom of your foot, can happen to anyone, said Dr. Eveline Tan, a podiatrist at Northwestern Medicine, but it occurs more frequently in people who are on their feet for long periods of time. “It’s probably more common than most people think,” she said, noting that she’s seen a resurgence of patients with the condition as more people have been returning to post-lockdown life. On Monday, Tiger Woods posted on Twitter that he withdrew from a golf tournament because he has developed plantar fasciitis in his right foot, making it difficult to walk. The condition can be agonizing, but it’s generally temporary, and there are treatments and preventive steps people can take to ward it off.
Is there any way to prevent plantar fasciitis?
“No one is safe from plantar fasciitis,” said Dr. Amiethab Aiyer, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine. And if you’ve had plantar fasciitis before, you’re more likely to develop the condition again in the future, he said. But there are ways to reduce your risk. If you’re increasing your level of exercise, build up gradually, and incorporate rest and stretching into your routine, especially stretching your hamstrings, calves and feet, Dr. Walton said. Even stretching your calf over a stair at work or home can help add flexibility, Dr. Pandya said.
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