Why Can't They Play? - What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Every once in a while one of your favorite athletes has to rest for a few weeks because of plantar fasciitis. Here are a few words about plantar fasciitis, symptoms, factors and treatment.
Online, February 7, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Every once in a while one of your favorite athletes has to rest for a few weeks because of plantar fasciitis. NBA players Joakim Noah, Ron Artest, Tony Parker and more are all struggling with plantar fasciitis at this moment. It might be one of your favorite NBA players or your baseball team star that must sit on the bench for awhile. Long distance runners are likely to get it, tennis players, and actually most of the athletes may get plantar fasciitis. So what is plantar fasciitis? Why can't they play?
Plantar fasciitis is that pain in the bottom of the foot usually felt around the heel. That pain especially hurts first thing in the morning when you try to get out of bed and stand on your feet, or after sitting for awhile.
The meaning of the name Plantar fasciitis is: "Plantar" means the bottom of the foot, "fascia" is a type of connective tissue, and "itis" means "inflammation". The plantar fascia band runs from your heel to the toes. Plantar Fasciitis is caused by wounding the tough plantar fascia band on the bottom of your foot.
The plantar fascia is a relatively inflexible, strong, fibrous band on the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia helps maintain the complex arch system of the foot, it helps to absorb shock, plays a role in one's balance and in the various phases of gait. The plantar fascia transmits your weight across the bottom of the foot with each step you take. At the moment the heel of the trailing leg begins to lift off the ground, the plantar fascia endures tension that is approximately two times body weight. This moment of maximum tension is increased if there is lack of flexibility in the calf muscles.
Plantar Fasciitis will usually be close to the heel but it might happen anywhere along the Plantar Fascia band. If the plantar fascia band gets bruised or stretched, the inflammation causes the pain. It can also get partially detached from the heel and a calcium deposit can form - a heel spur.
Plantar fasciitis can also be known as a heel spur although they are not strictly the same. A heel spur is a bony growth that occurs at the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone (calcaneus). A heel spur can be present on a foot with no symptoms at all. A painful heel does not always have a heel spur present. Heal spur and painful heal does not necessarily go together.
Plantar fasciitis is traditionally thought to be an inflammatory condition. This is now believed to be inaccurate due to sometimes absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain and dysfunction is now thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibers close to the attachment of the plantar fascia band to the heel bone (calcaneus). Plantar fasciitis is more common in middle-aged people. It also occurs in younger people who spend time on their feet a lot, like athletes or soldiers. It can happen in one foot or both feet. Plantar fasciitis or heel spurs are common in sports which involve running, dancing or jumping. Runners who's feet overpronate (feet rolling in or flattening) are particularly at risk as the biomechanics of the foot causes additional stretching of the plantar fascia band.
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THIS MATERIAL DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE. IT IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN FOR SPECIFIC TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.