Welcome back.   After reading my previous blog entry "My Heel Hurts," let's assume we are all experts in the definition of plantar fasciits.  Now it is time to tackle the cause of this condition.  Remember, plantar fasciitis is the partial tearing, or pulling away,  of the attachment of this ligament from the heel bone.   The most common reason for this is a subtle change in the way we walk on a daily basis.  These subtle changes can come from simple things like shoe or sandal changes, weight loss or gain, or starting or stopping an exercise program. 

All of these activities can alter the angle (outward rotation of our foot off of the straight line we are walking) and base (distance between our feet) of our walking.  These subtle changes can create an increased length of our arch resulting in the plantar fascia becoming tight and then eventually too tight.  When it reaches this point it begins to pull and tear away from the bone.  Another common cause of plantar fasciitis is a tightening of the calf muscle...

This tightening often occurs when patients begin new exercise programs or jobs requiring walking or standing.  We all forget that we are not teenagers any more and fail to stretch properly before and after our activities.  Because of this, our calf muscle tightens.  This prevents us from walking properly. 

Normally we land on the heel and propelling through the walking cycle until we come off of the tip of the Big Toe.  When our calf muscles tighten,  we can not complete the walking cycle and instead of propelling off of the tip of the big toe, we role of of the inside of the Big Toe.  This can be checked by looking for a callus (toughened skin) on the side of your Big Toe or Big Toe Joint.  This type of motion puts an excess strain on the muscles, tendons and ligaments on the inside, or arch side, of the foot.  This increased stress can result in pulling or tearing away of the plantar fascia.  This is the most common cause of Plantar Fasciitis.  Another cause of this condition can be from a minor acute trauma.  Any misstep or fall from low height can force your foot temporarily into a flattened position resulting in a tearing of the planter fascia.  This type of injury can also lead to a complete rupture of the Plantar Fascia.     

Check back soon for common treatments of this condition.  You may be surprised how simple it is to treat this sometimes debilitating condition.