If you have plantar fasciitis, then you are familiar with some of the symptoms that come with the condition. The burning and sharp pain when you get up and the loss of mobility can really start to affect your lifestyle and may make you miss out on a lot of the different things that you want to enjoy throughout the day.

But while you may be familiar with the symptoms, you may not know some of the main causes of this condition. There are different things that can cause plantar fasciitis, and understanding where this condition comes from will help you figure out the best treatment for your feet as well.

Let’s take a closer look at the main cause of plantar fasciitis.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

There are a few different things that can cause plantar fasciitis, but the reason that you feel the pain in your foot is that the plantar fascia is starting to get inflamed. This is the large band of tendons that will go all the way from the heel bone to the toes at the front of the foot. This can make it painful to move around and even walk.

There are a lot of things that can cause this tendon to get inflamed. But until you are able to do stretches and provide some rest to the plantar fascia, you will continue to notice the pain and it will not give you a break at all. Some of the things that cause the plantar fascia to feel inflamed include:

Obesity is A Main Cause of Plantar Fasciitis

One reason that you may experience plantar fasciitis is that you are overweight or obese. The faster that you gain weight and the longer you hold onto the weight, the higher your risk of developing the condition. It is a good idea to lose weight so that you can take some of that pressure off the feet and protect them.

Not Being Physically Active Enough Can Cause Plantar Fasciitis

Being physically active is important for your body and a part of everyday life. It helps to get the heart up and pumping provides you with an outlet for emotions and stressors in life and will give you a long and healthy life. But if you are not careful with the type of physical activity that you participate in, it is possible that you will overdo it and will develop plantar fasciitis.

There are some recreational factors that may play a role in whether you are at risk of developing plantar fasciitis. For example, if you spend a lot of time running long distances, then you may put a lot of shock and pressure on the feet, which will lead you to develop a problem with plantar fascia as time goes on.

Your Occupation Can Cause Your Feet to Develop Plantar Fasciitis

Yes, there are some occupations that will make it more likely that you will develop the condition of plantar fasciitis. Namely, if you are in a career that asks. You to be on your feet or walking most of the day, then these can put a lot of pressure on the feet, without a ton of breaks, and that will lead to inflammation in the plantar fasciitis as well.

There are a lot of positions that can lead to this issue if you are not careful. Those in the medical field, those in the hospitality field, factory workers, and more can all have a higher chance of developing plantar fasciitis if they do not wear the proper footwear or take the time to protect their feet along the way.

One Might Have Plantar Fasciitis Due to Being Pregnant

It is also possible that your risk of plantar fasciitis is going to go up when you are dealing with pregnancy. Studies show that this condition is more common in women and that women are most likely to have the condition during their pregnancy. The main time that this will happen is when the mother gets to her third trimester.

The most likely reason that this happens is because of the weight gain during pregnancy. The baby can gain a lot of weight in the last trimester of the pregnancy. This extra weight is pretty quick and can put a ton of pressure on the feet, leading to more issues with plantar fasciitis.

Foot Structure is a Main Cause of Plantar Fasciitis

Some people will have some issues with the structure of their feet. These issues can make it more likely that you will have some issues with plantar fasciitis. If you are dealing with arches that are either high or really flat, then your chance of having plantar fasciitis is going to go up as well. Those with Achilles tendon problems can be a concern as well.

How is Plantar Fasciitis Diagnosed?

Now that we know some of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis, it is time to learn how your doctor will be able to diagnose this condition in your feet. Usually, this is done during an exam of the foot when you go into their office. Your doctor will be able to complete a physical exam and ask you a number of questions to determine if this is a problem.

Some of the things that your doctor will look for include:

• An arch that is unusually high
• Where the pain areas are on your foot. They will often look close to the heel bone to see if this is where the pain is found.
• Pain is going to get worse when you flex the foot, but will go away a bit when your toes are pointed.
• To see if you have a limited amount of movement in the ankle without a lot of pain.

Depending on your foot, your doctor may need to do some x-rays or imaging tests to see whether there is something else that could be causing the pain in the heel or not.

How to Heal Plantar Fasciitis

There are several different treatments that you can utilize when helping out with plantar fasciitis, depending on what is going on with the foot and the cause that you are looking at. It is estimated that 90% of patients with this condition will see improvements within 10 months of this condition using a number of different treatments including:

• Rest: You should limit or stop the activities that you do that seem to impact the heel repetitively and make the pain worse overall.
• Ice: You should consider adding ice to the painful area. 20 minutes a day is usually enough to help with the pain. If the ice is too much for you, consider freezing a bottle of water and then rolling the foot over this to help.
• Stretching exercises: If the muscles in the calves and feet are all tight, they can make the plantar fasciitis worse overall. You can consider some stretching exercises to help out with this problem.
• Pain medication: NSAIDs can be a great option to help take care of plantar fasciitis and give you some relief from some of the inflammation that you have.
• Wear the right footwear: Choose a good pair of shoes, ones that are going to support the feet, have rigid shanks, and are cushion-soled in them. A heel cup can help to make sure that the foot will get support and won’t move around in a way that aggravates the issue.
• Orthotics: A good pair of orthotics will be able to help give the foot the support that it needs, in all the right places. You can get a custom orthotic to ensure that it has just the right arch and heel cup to help your foot and make the issues of plantar fasciitis go away.

Taking Care of Your Feet

No matter what is going to cause the plantar fasciitis in your feet, it is a good idea to find the right treatment that can help the feet feel a bit better when it is all said and done. Choosing good footwear, giving the feet a bit of a rest on occasion, and considering custom orthotics can all protect the feet and stop some of the pain from plantar fasciitis.

When you are ready to see whether custom orthotics will be the right solution for your plantar fasciitis, you should check out our custom insoles made for those with plantar fasciitis. We will be able to provide you with some of the solutions that you need to prevent the pain and regain the full functioning of your feet.