The problem of plantar fasciitis is commonly seen among runners, people who are overweight, people with flat feet or high arches, or those who stand on their feet for long hours doing their jobs. In most cases, non-surgical treatment can help a person to get rid of the problem. The duration, as well as the nature, of treatment may vary from one patient to the other. While it may take six weeks for some, it might take longer than six months for others to get effectively cured. Treatment for plantar fasciitis should be initiated immediately upon occurrence of the problem. This helps in getting rid of the problem in a very short time. Delay may cause the problem to become aggravated and may require more than six months for the problem to heal. Treatment in the initial stages includes adequate rest, applying ice to the area of pain after routine activities, some gentle stretching and strengthening exercises to relax the tissues and anti-inflammatory medicines for relief from pain. Wearing of night splints is also recommended to keep the tissues gently stretched during the night to relieve the patient from the painful experience of the first morning steps. For some, different types of shoe insert"called orthotics"may have to be used after evaluation of their routine activities to lessen their pain. The shoes must, however, adequately support the orthoses to bring about the desired results. In cases where the patients do not respond to the conventional treatments mentioned above, the physicians may use cortisone injections to relieve the pain. But physicians do not often prefer cortisones because of their noted side effects in some patients. Doctors recommend surgery as an alternative to those patients whose pain persists even after months of conventional treatment. A majority of the patients have reported relief from pain after surgery. Surgery is seen as a last resort because of its possible complications. In recent years, there has been an emergence of a new kind of treatment called the Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT). ESWT involves low-energy shockwave treatment or high-energy shockwave treatment. The shockwave therapy stimulates the repair process of the injured tissues and relieves the patients from the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. |
