Heel pain in adults will be caused by numerous disorders, but the most frequent cause is a condition known as plantar fasciitis. The pain from this commonly are under the heel and the traditional symptom is that the pain is worse when getting up first thing in the morning for those first couple of steps. Following those first steps the pain does typically ease somewhat, however it worsens again as the day goes on. The plantar fascia is a long ligament under the bottom of the foot which is responsible for assisting the arch of the foot, so plantar fasciitis is caused by there is excessive strain on the arch of the foot. The most important risk factors for plantar fasciitis are tight calf muscles, being overweight and having greater amounts of exercise. Foot biomechanical problems that adds to the load in the plantar fascia also are a factor in raising the load.
The first approach to plantar fasciitis is pain alleviation with the use of ice after exercise and possibly using anti-inflammatory and also pain relief medication. Taping can also be used temporarily to help with the pain. Foot orthoses enables you to decrease the force on the arch of the foot and correct any alignment issues that might be a factor in causing the condition. It is very important to stretch the leg muscles as that is a major risk. Night may also be used to assist with this stretching if required. Strengthening the muscles which also support the arch is usually advantageous since they take some load of the plantar fascia. In the long run, losing weight is recommended because this really does produce a lot of strain in the foot. Whenever these methods aren't working to well, then it is time to consider things like shockwave therapy or corticosteroid shots. A final resort could be surgical treatment.
