Plantar Flexion

The Plantar Fascia is a very thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. Individuals who are flat footed or have walking abnormalities in which the weight is unevenly distributed will make him/her prone to miniature tears and a swollen plantar fascia tissue. Although heel cups have been found to be useful by some physicians and patients, 6 in our experience they are more useful in treating patients with fat pad syndrome and heel bruises than patients with plantar fasciitis. In a survey of 411 patients with plantar fasciitis, 12 heel cups were ranked as the least effective of 11 different treatments. As long as your body is making these forward and side-to-side movements correctly, the plantar fascia can function well and the tissue remains healthy. However, if a person has musculoskeletal issues that prevent the proper transfer of body weight forward and from side to side, certain areas of the plantar fascia can get overworked and injured. Two of the most common musculoskeletal imbalances that can affect the correct functioning of the foot and ankle are overpronation and lack of dorsiflexion (American Council on Exercise, 2010). Overpronation is characterized by the foot and ankle collapsing inward toward the midline of the body. A lack of dorsiflexion is characterized by the inability of the ankle to bend forward in order for the lower leg to come forward over the foot. These two imbalances are inherently linked and can cause a lot of damage to the plantar fascia. Retraining these areas can help prevent or alleviate plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a severe, painful, and advancing illness that occurs when the long, flat ligament called plantar fascia along the bottom of the foot, develops tears and gradually degenerates. This ligament extends to the five toes and runs along the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel. This option is prescribed only if the pain is very severe and natural treatments do not cure the condition. The most common type of surgical treatment is the plantar fascia release, which is medically known as endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. This involves the release or removal of the fascia by preparing a small incision on the inside of the heel. The other commonly followed treatment is the Heel Pain removal, which aims at removing the heel spur and repairing the plantar fascia region. It is done by separating the inflamed tissue from the heel, and the bone spur is cut away. For instance, endoscopic plantar fasciotomy poses the danger of flattening of the arch in some patients. Ruptures are also reported to be the possible side effects of heel spur removal as well as endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. As per 'The American Academy of Family Physicians', the success rate of plantar fasciitis surgery is around 75-90 percent. The foot is a very complex mechanical structure.