Plantar Fascia is a thick connective tissue starting from the heel bone and extending up to the sole of the foot. Swelling occurring in this plantar fascia is referred to as Plantar Fasciitis. Individuals with naturally flat foots or high arches of the foot are more susceptible to this painful condition.
Any overuse injury or stress on the plantar of the foot tends to affect the Plantar Fascia adversely thereby leading to painful Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis. Athletes, runners, overweight individuals and pregnant women are more at risk of developing this problem. The Plantar Fasciitis pain is usually more troublesome in the morning.
Treatment for Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis can be surgical or non surgical. The non surgical conventional as well as home treatments are generally preferred over surgical treatments. The natural treatments consist of several natural home remedies for Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis.
Stretching exercises are the most common and equally effective Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis home remedies. The natural remedies should be followed on a regular basis for a few weeks in order to cure Plantar Fasciitis.
Causes and Symptoms of Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis
Basically, Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis is caused by the degeneration of collagen fibers closely attached to the heel bone. This degeneration, in turn is generally caused by excessive stress on the Plantar Fascia exerted during running or standing for long a long time. Repeated trauma may lead to tearing of the tissues thereby causing pain and inflammation.
Contrary to the popular misconception, heel spurs are not the actual cause of this problem. Instead, they are the result of Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis. Other factors associated with this ailment are faulty structure of the foot, poor arch support in footwear, rapid change in the normal level of activity and other related factors. Plus, older individual are more susceptible to this sort of degeneration.
Heel pain is one of the most common symptoms of Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis. The pain is more severe in the morning and reduces after a little activity, like a few minutes of walking. This is because the tendons tend to tighten up after rest thereby causing more pain. In the absence of proper treatment, the pain intensifies with the passage of time.
Natural Home Remedies for Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis
- Stretching the calf muscles is one of the best natural home remedies for Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis treatment. This stretching is particularly helpful in reducing Plantar Fasciitis pain. The muscles should particularly be stretched prior to any physical activity, like before getting out of the bed in the morning.
- Regular ice massage for about 15 minutes per day is a highly beneficial Plantar Fasciitis home remedy. The circular massage should be done with moderate pressure to relieve the pain and inflammation. The ice massage should be carried out several times in a day. While adopting this remdy, do not put ice cubes directly on the skin.
- Massaging the base of the foot with tea tree oil is also a good natural remedy used to ease the severe pain associated with this condition. Soaking the feet in bath water mixed with Epsom salt also helps to reduce the swelling and pain.
- Wearing cushioned footwear with supportive arch is one of the most highly recommended Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis home remedies for healing this problem.
While dealing with Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis, try to include more ginger, garlic and cloves in the diet to get rid of the swelling. Omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts, soy products, flaxseed oil, seafood etc are also beneficial in eliminating the symptoms of this disease.
Plus, consumption of mint tea and ginger tea also helps to ease Plantar Fasciitis pain. Needless to add, a healthy diet with essential vitamins and minerals helps in the process of healing. It has been observed that walking barefoot tends to put more pressure on the Plantar Fascia.
Therefore, try to avoid walking barefooted. This is one of the simplest home remedies for Plantar Fascia or Plantar Fasciitis prevention. Apart from these measures, it is also necessary to take adequate amount of rest and give the tendons an opportunity to heal themselves naturally instead of aggravating the injury by strenuous physical activity.
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