The Jacksonville Orthopedics at Heekin Orthopedics Discuss Plantar Fasciitis

    JACKSONVILLE, FL, April 28, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Plantar fasciitis, sometimes also called "heel spur" and "flip-flop disease", occurs when the plantar fascia, a long ligament located on the bottom of the foot, becomes inflamed and swollen. Inflammation generally occurs due to damage of the ligament caused by excessive pressure or tearing.

There are numerous causes of plantar fasciitis, including the feet rolling inward when walking, wearing shoes with poor arch support and poor cushioning (such as flip-flops), standing for prolonged periods and repetitive or new impact activities, especially running or walking on hard surfaces.

Risk factors for plantar fasciitis include older age, being female, being an athlete, having flat feet or high arches and being overweight, as this puts more pressure on the feet.

What Are the Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?

The No. 1 most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain at the bottom of the foot near the heal when weight is placed on it, especially immediately after getting out of bed in the morning or after getting up from a prolonged period of sitting. Furthermore, pain while standing, walking up stairs and after exercise is relatively common.

How Is Plantar Fasciitis Treated?

The majority of cases of plantar fasciitis will resolve on their own within six to 18 months. However, especially for athletes or people who do a lot of standing, simply waiting for things to improve can be frustrating, not to mention impractical.

While rest, along with cessation of the activity causing the pain and investment in a good, supportive pair of shoes is general recommended, there are other things you can do to speed up the recovery, such as stretching and icing your foot several times a day. If this is not enough, there are a number of alternative treatment methods.

Non-surgical options include shock wave therapy, the use of orthotics or splints and injections with cortisone or BOTOX. Especially for athletes, physiotherapy and sports medicine have been demonstrated to be effective. In 90 percent of cases, these non-surgical options are sufficient to resolve the symptoms of plantar fasciitis; however, in severe cases persisting for more than 12 months, surgery may be indicated.

"At Heekin Orthopedics, we offer not only physical therapy services, but also sports medicine and rehabilitation and orthopedic surgery," says Kevin P. Murphy, MD. "If you think that you might suffer from plantar fasciitis, make an appointment today, and we can help determine the optimal treatment strategy for your individual needs."

To learn more about plantar fasciitis treatment options and the services offered by Heekin Orthopedics, please visit https://heekinortho.com/.

About Heekin Orthopedics:

Established in 2001 by Dr. R. David Heekin in historic Riverside, Heekin Orthopedic Specialists has grown to include 10 knowledgeable orthopedic surgeons, a pain management specialist and a physiatrist. They have five state-of the-art Jacksonville locations, three of which have on-site Physical Therapy departments.

To learn more, please visit https://heekinortho.com/.

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