If you suffer from pressing heel pain, most likely you are experiencing plantar fasciitis. This is one of the most seen cause of heel pain there is. So what on earth is plantar fasciitis? Our feet have a ligament called the plantar fascia that attaches the heel bone to the toes. It also offers support to the arch of your foot so if this ligament gets stressed in any form or manner, it becomes weak and can become infected and painful.

Plantar fasciitis typically happens in individuals who are grown-up. It can occur to people who are passionate runners or those who are fat, regardless of their age. The pain generally comes on slowly. It usually only strikes one foot, but it can occur in both feet simultaneously. When this happens and you are in the Baltimore area you are encouraged to see a Baltimore podiatrist.

Straining of the plantar fascia ligament is the cause. If it is strained repeatedly, the ligament can get small tears. It is the tears that lead to the pain and irritation. There are a number of things that can cause this strain initially.

Plantar Fasciitis may have grown because you have a tendency towards pronation. This means that your feet roll in as you walk. If you have either high arches or flat feet this can put strain on the ligament. If you spend several hours on your feet, either standing up, jogging, or walking, this too can have an impact.

If you wear ill-fitting shoes or shoes with no support, you may suffer with this condition. Having stretched calf muscles or Achilles tendons can put strain on the ligament. The key symptoms are rigidity and pain in the heel which is perhaps a whole lot worse when you first get up in the morning or get up after a long period of sitting. The pain may alleviate after taking your first few steps, but it most likely will hurt more during the course of the day.

Initially, you are able to self-treat your plantar fasciitis without consulting a foot physician. Here are some of the things you can do to help your foot heel. Cut back on the things that make your foot feel painful and let it rest. Avoiding hard surfaces is always advisable.

Icing your heel will aid in the swelling along with the pain, as will taking something like ibuprofen or naproxen. Calf stretches and stretching out your foot by pulling it back with the aid of a towel should be done numerous times a day, especially in the morning. Shoes with ample arch support can help, plus adding shoe inserts to both shoes.

If you are in Baltimore and the foot pain persists for 6 months or more even after attempting all these things, it may be time to see a Baltimore foot doctor. There is a somewhat new therapy for plantar fasciitis called Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy. ESWT delivers sound waves to the heel area, which leads to new blood circulation to the strained or torn ligament. This course is safe and needs three or four treatments to give good results .