Mark Gerard's Therapeutic Massage

Friends often ask me what most often brings people to see me. You might think it’s lower back pain … or sore, stress-carrying shoulders … or aches in the joints. But the truth is, the ailment that I hear about most often is something you’ve probably never heard of – plantar fasciitis (that’s “fa-shee-AYE-tis).

The term may be foreign to you, but if you’ve ever woken up in the morning with a throbbing on the bottom of your foot, you’re no stranger to this condition. I’ve even talked with some people whose pain has been so unbearable that they can’t walk, or worse, have fallen.

So what exactly is plantar fasciitis?

First, the basics: Fascia is a connective tissue that binds together muscles or bones. Plantar fascia is found on the underside of the foot. It starts at the heel bone and fans out the length of the foot, ending at each toe. Its job is to keep all the foot’s intricate bone structures in place. Simple, right? Think of it as a stabilizer for the continual pressure we put on our feet as we walk or run. When the plantar fascia swells up (the “itis” in “fasciitis”), it tightens like an overstretched rubber band, resulting in sometimes excruciating pain.

We’ve probably all experienced it at one time or another. To be honest, risk factors for this condition range from the flat-footed to the high-arched, from the obese to the avid runner. You could call it an equal-opportunity ailment. Like with so many muscular conditions, all it needs is the right circumstances before it flares up. Maybe you’ve been out running errands and shopping all day. Or you’ve just finished a long walk or a jog. It’s a fairly normal response for the fascia on the bottom of your heel to tighten up when you do these things.

Not surprisingly, many people develop plantar fasciitis after they’ve decided to get off the couch and get more exercise. This makes sense: all of a sudden, they’re asking their fascia to support their weight after a long period of lethargy. This makes me wonder if I’m seeing so much of it because of all those New Year’s resolutions out there.

For some, plantar fasciitis becomes a chronic condition that can only be remedied with treatment. Of course, lots of people run (if you’ll pardon the expression) right to a podiatrist, who may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications or shoe inserts. More extreme cases might even be treated with a boot, a cast, or even surgery. These treatments work well for a lot of folks.

I believe Western medicine and treatments certainly have their place. But if you want to avoid plantar fasciitis altogether, all you need to do is maintain good flexibility around your ankles, and for goodness sake get regular exercise so that your plantar fascia doesn’t get taken by surprise when you go walking. And if you tend to be on your feet often, be sure to regularly stretch your Achilles tendon and calf muscles, which pull on the plantar fascia at the heel.

And of course, foot massage does wonders to soften plantar fascia, and regular foot massage can prevent recurrence of this painful condition.

Ask me about it next time you come in!