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 Guan Yu Hua
Orthopedic Surgery
1min 14sec home-news-image

What causes plantar fasciitis?

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 Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
59sec home-news-image

How to cure plantar fasciitis?

In clinical practice, there are currently two methods for treating plantar fasciitis. The first method is the most commonly seen conservative treatment, such as using rest, wearing orthotic shoes, and utilizing acupuncture, massage, electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, and local infiltration therapy to alleviate the symptoms of foot pain caused by the plantar fascia while walking. However, if conservative treatment does not yield results after six months or if the pain intensifies and severely affects weight-bearing walking, then it may become necessary to proceed with the second method of treatment, which is surgical intervention. The goals of surgical treatment include, firstly, loosening the plantar fascia and, secondly, removing bone spurs, as a significant number of patients with plantar fasciitis also develop bone spurs. Therefore, along with loosening the fascia, it is necessary to excise the bone spurs to relieve the symptoms of foot pain.

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Written by Wang Fei
Orthopedics
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The difference between Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis and metatarsal tendinitis, these two diseases are essentially the same type of disease clinically. In professional clinical terms, it is called metatarsal tendinitis, commonly known as plantar fasciitis. The anatomical location is mainly on the sole of the foot, extending from the 1-5 metatarsophalangeal joints to the position of the calcaneal tubercle. Our soles have a very thick layer, resembling a tendon sheath, which is a very important structure that supports the arch and normal walking. Plantar fasciitis and metatarsal tendinitis essentially occur in the same location, with only a difference in terminology.

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
34sec home-news-image

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
50sec home-news-image

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.