Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis refers to inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that lies at the bottom of the foot. It runs from the heel bone to the toe and forms the arch of your foot. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common painful foot conditions. It is most often seen in middle-aged men and women. 

Causes

Normally the plantar fascia functions as a shock absorber and also supports the arch of your foot. Too much of pressure over the fascia may damage or tear away the tissue and can be a cause of heel pain. It is also possible that when the plantar fascia gets overstretched or overused repeatedly, there may be irritation or inflammation of the fascia.

Other risk factors that can make you more prone to develop plantar fasciitis include obesity, foot arch problems such as flat feet and high arch, activities such as long-distance running, ballet dancing and dance aerobics, occupations that necessitate walking or standing on hard surfaces for long period of time, and wearing shoes with poor arch support or thin-soled shoes.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel. The pain develops gradually and may involve either one or both feet at the same time. Pain is usually worse in the morning or may aggravate after standing up for a long time.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will examine your foot and will check for the signs of flat feet or high arches, tenderness, swelling and redness of the foot, and stiffness or tightness of the arch in the bottom of your foot.
Your doctor may suggest an X-ray or MRI scan to rule out other causes of heel pain such as a stress fracture or pinched nerve.

Prolotherapy Treatment

Prolotherapy takes its name from the increase in healthy tissue that develops after the injection. This increased tissue strength is beneficial in healing tissue tears, like ligaments as well as loose tissue, like lax shoulder capsule. The main active ingredient in the injection is dextrose. Dextrose solution, by way of osmotic attraction, brings a natural healing response.

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