What causes plantar fasciitis?

Written by Guan Yu Hua
Orthopedic Surgery
Updated on September 25, 2024
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Plantar fasciitis is mostly caused by prolonged standing, such as wearing high heels or leather shoes for extended periods. The fascia remains tense under these conditions, leading to tenderness in the sole's fascia upon examination. Pain tends to intensify while walking or bearing weight and alleviates when resting as the fascia relaxes. It is best to diagnose and treat this condition early. Applying heat, reducing the movement of the affected limb, and avoiding tension in the fascia are advisable. Consuming medications that invigorate blood circulation and relieve pain can also help, generally improving symptoms within 7 to 10 days. Recovery might be slow in some cases due to fascial damage. Furthermore, repeated pulling or tension from standing and working can lead to recurrent episodes. Rest is recommended for such individuals, and wearing softer sports shoes during activities can be beneficial. Resting and taking blood-invigorating medications usually lead to gradual recovery. For severe cases ineffective with conservative treatment, surgical cutting of the fascia may be performed to relieve pain. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)

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Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
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Is plantar fasciitis prone to recurrence?

First of all, it is necessary to explain that patients with plantar fasciitis, even after recovery, can easily relapse if they overuse their feet for a long time, or are exposed to prolonged cold and damp conditions. Therefore, plantar fasciitis is prone to recurrence. It is important to avoid long periods of weight-bearing walking, minimize local irritation, and never let the feet become cold. It is essential to persistently perform hot washes daily. During the hot wash, peppercorns and salt can be added to the hot water for washing, or external use of traditional Chinese herbs that activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis can be boiled and used for fumigation washes. Additionally, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs orally along with drugs that activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis can effectively treat plantar fasciitis. (Please follow the doctor's prescription for medication use.)

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Plantar fasciitis clinical symptoms

The clinical manifestation of plantar fasciitis primarily involves pain on the inner side of the foot when bearing weight, particularly severe during excessive weight-bearing activities. This pain can significantly affect your posture while walking and has a substantial impact on daily life. Currently, there are two main treatments used clinically. The first is conservative treatment, which mainly involves rest, local injections, electrotherapy, magnet therapy, and acupuncture to alleviate the pain. If conservative treatment fails to yield results after more than six months and the pain progressively worsens, surgical treatment becomes the only option. Surgical treatment includes releasing the plantar fascia, removing bone spurs, and eliminating inflammatory tissue around the plantar fascia to relieve pain.

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Where to apply moxibustion for plantar fasciitis?

In cases of plantar fasciitis, moxibustion on acupuncture points such as Zu San Li and Qu Chi can effectively alleviate pain. However, relying solely on moxibustion for treatment is not very effective; it only serves as a supplementary role. For treating fasciitis, it is crucial to rest adequately and avoid excessive fatigue. Shockwave therapy can be utilized for treatment and requires a prolonged, gradual approach to condition management. Daily warm water foot soaks can also help mitigate symptoms and accelerate healing.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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How is plantar fasciitis treated?

The treatment of plantar fasciitis currently is divided into two methods in clinical practice. The first method is conservative treatment, which includes rest, avoiding strenuous exertion and excessive weight-bearing walking. It can be managed with physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, and local block injections. If conservative treatments do not improve the condition or even if the pain progressively worsens over more than half a year, severely affecting daily life, surgical treatment may be necessary. The objectives of surgical treatment are firstly to release the plantar fascia and secondly to remove bone, as a significant portion of patients with plantar fasciitis also have heel spurs; therefore, the surgical procedure involves the removal of these bone spurs to alleviate the pain.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
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Can you still exercise with plantar fasciitis?

Patients with plantar fasciitis can exercise, but there are definite restrictions on the type of exercise. For instance, it is best to avoid weight-bearing exercises such as running, weightlifting, or mountain climbing. For patients with plantar fasciitis, we recommend swimming because it involves limb, muscle, and fascia activities in a non-weight-bearing situation, which is greatly beneficial and not harmful to the fascia. Swimming is our recommended approach, as it can also appropriately stretch the plantar fascia during the process, thereby helping to alleviate foot pain.