Think you have trodden on a pebble with your heel and it really hurts – that could be plantar fasciitis.
Haven’t heard of it? I hadn’t either until I was diagnosed with it several years ago, but it’s really common for people aged 40 to 60 and can be crippling if left untreated.
This week on our radio show we talked to President of Australian Podiatry Association NSW Kylie McCulloch about this condition and what you can do to treat it.
Kylie told us plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the fibrous coating of the tendons – the structure that runs underneath the foot from the heel area to the ball of the foot – and most of us will get it at least once in our lives.
It generally results in pain in your heel and bottom of your foot and is usually worse when you wake up or after resting.
Putting your feet first
So what causes it?
Kylie says it’s a number of factors, such as poor-fitting shoes or even going on a long walking holiday when you are usually sedentary; weight gain or loss; being overweight; and doing excessive activity or not enough.
Preventions and treatments? She says stretching and icing management and looking at lifestyle factors such as exercise and weight.
“It’s a matter of managing our footwear well, making sure that your muscles are limber and ensuring that you get into activities gradually instead of throwing yourself into them,” she says.
“It’s a much easier condition to manage if you can get it in the first six weeks,” Kylie says. See a podiatrist to identify and treat it early.
Check out the podcast of our full interview with Kylie below:
Kylie McCulloch, president of the Australian Podiatry Association (NSW & ACT) – 19.02.17
