Plantar fasciitis is a condition that happens to the plantar fascia or the thick band of tissue that runs from the heel bone to your toes. When this tendon starts to get inflamed and sore, it can cause a lot of pain throughout the whole foot, making it painful to walk and limiting your movement as well.

This condition can start slowly. Many patients may notice a bit of pain when they first get up in the morning or even some when they have walked or stood on their feet all day long. But if they do not take the proper precautions ahead of time, they could end up with plantar fasciitis that is so bad, it takes over their lives and makes it hard to move.

To help treat the issues with plantar fasciitis, it is often recommended that the patient understands some of the symptoms.

Ignoring these can lead to more damage to the foot and may lead you to take drastic measures to protect your feet. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of plantar fasciitis to help us recognize when there is a problem.

What are the Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?

While each patient will be a bit different when it comes to their symptoms of plantar fasciitis, there are a few symptoms that they can share in common. You may have one or two of these, though many of the symptoms may show up for you as well. Some of the symptoms you may notice with plantar fasciitis include

Sharp Pain in the Morning is a Symptom of Plantar Fasciitis

When you have severe plantar fasciitis, you may notice that you have some sharp pain in the feet and lower body right away in the morning. You should notice this with the first few steps that you take when you get out of bed. The pain is going to be even worse if you tend to have the feet point down when you sleep because it shortens the calf muscle.

Since the muscles have gotten stiff during the night, you will notice that you can be in more pain when you first wake up. Usually, the pain will go away when you get up and start to move around during the day. However, it can get worse again if you end up standing or walking around too much during the day aggravating the problem.

Plantar Fasciitis Signs are Swelling in the Foot, Heel, and Arch

When there is any type of swelling in the foot, this is a sign that you need to take care of the foot and that something is aggravated. One of the symptoms of plantar fasciitis in particular is that there is some swelling in the foot, heel, or arch. Keep in mind that plantar fasciitis is inflammation in the plantar fasciitis, which goes from the heel to the toes.

This means it travels a long way across the foot and the inflammation can result in some swelling throughout the body. This is why you may see a good deal of swelling in the foot when you are dealing with plantar fasciitis, along with some of the pain.

If You Feel Pain After Resting, Then You Might Have Plantar Fasciitis

When your foot is in pain and aching, it is normal to take a rest and put the feet up. This is a good thing to do because it helps with some of the blood flow that you need and will take some of that pressure off the heel and foot as well. But when you have plantar fasciitis, this rest, especially for a long time, can end up causing more pain too.

Heel pain right when you wake up in the morning is not the only time that the condition of plantar fasciitis is going to strike. Many patients can experience pain in the heel when they have been resting for a long time. You may find that sitting for half an hour or more can be enough to cause pain in the foot when you are standing again.

You Might Have Plantar Fasciitis If Moving Around Helps the Pain Go Away

If you have been resting or just woke up and noticed some pain in the foot or the heel, you may find that a bit of moving around and stretching can make a difference. The movement is going to help the heel or foot pain decrease a bit compared to when you first decided to stand up.

The reason that this works for plantar fasciitis is that the movement will add a mild stretch to the calf and the plantar fasciitis. Moving around can loosen everything up so that you feel better. But if you do too much movement and do not take breaks to get the pressure off the plantar fascia, this pain and discomfort can come back again.

Developing a Limp When Walking Means You Likely Have Plantar Fasciitis

Your body will often try to avoid putting too much weight on the heel of the foot when it is in pain. When you can reduce the amount of pressure on that part of the foot, you will find that it can feel better. When you stop putting the full weight on one of the heels, you may start to limp a bit, making the other foot take on more of the pressure and weight.

This limp can be minor and it will happen over time so it is possible that you won’t even notice that it is going on. It is a good idea to do a walking analysis with your physical therapist to find some of the smaller changes to your walking pattern and to help strengthen some of the muscles that were neglected when you started to limp.

When Walking on Your Toes is Better For You, You May Have Plantar Fasciitis

No one wants to walk around on a heel that hurts. To avoid some of the pain and still walk around, you may try to walk on your toes a bit. This allows you to avoid the heels and still get some movement. But this is not a good idea because it can start to harm your toes when you walk.

The problem that appears when you try to walk on your toes to avoid putting pressure on the heel is that you will further tighten the calf muscle. This will pull on the heel more than before, causing more irritation in the plantar fascia. Overall, this is going to make the problem worse, even if it seems like it helps in the beginning.

If You Experience Heel Pain When You Are Done Working Out, You Might Have Plantar Fasciitis

Exercise or activity that ends up with more tightness, pain, or sharpness along the heel of your foot or the arch can be a big sign that you are dealing with plantar fasciitis. If you suspect that this is the case for you, then it is time to look at making modifications to protect the foot.

Some modifications that you can choose include modifying the time and the intensity of some of the exercises that you do. This can help to avoid more irritation to the foot. You may need to consider more supportive shoes, or even look into custom orthotics, to protect the foot.

Tenderness in the Heel is a Plantar Fasciitis Indication

Sometimes you may not notice pain in the heel because you have a higher pain tolerance or the plantar fasciitis is just starting. But if you notice that the heel seems to be irritated or tender when you are active, then this can be a sign that you have plantar fasciitis as well.

When the heel hurts or is tender, it shows that the plantar fasciitis is starting to flair up. You need to get it checked out by your doctor to see whether this is a condition to worry about and to find the right treatment.

Taking Care of Your Plantar Fasciitis

When you are dealing with the condition of plantar fasciitis, it is important to understand the symptoms so that you can take good care of your feet and make sure that the condition doesn’t get worse. There are several treatments that you can consider, but one option that a lot of patients find effective is to use a custom orthotic.

A custom orthotic is one that you can have designed with the help of your doctor to fit the exact shape and contours of your foot. The idea is that it is designed just for your foot, giving you added protection and providing support in the exact spots where your foot will need it the most. This can make the orthotic more effective and protects it for many years to come.

When you are ready to see how great custom orthotics can be for your feet and help reduce the pain that you feel, then check out our custom orthotics built for plantar fasciitis. We can provide the best in custom orthotics, all online, so you know you can fix the common complaints with your foot and keep it safe and healed. Contact Bilt Labs today for your custom orthotic needs.