How to treat plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis of the foot, or plantar fasciitis

In this article we will talk about the treatment of plantar (plantar) heel fasciitis at home, about all the methods and features of this process.

Plantar fasciitis is a disease of the foot resulting from inflammation of the plantar fascia, which envelops the muscles of the arch of the foot. The result of the protective and adaptive reaction of the body is an injury to the fibrous tissue due to stretching, large and regular load.

The role of the fascia is to maintain the foot in the correct position, and as soon as it starts to hurt, a person cannot move normally and engage in physical activity. If the problem only has its beginnings, then you can figure out how to treat plantar fasciitis at home. In the case of increased and already intolerable pain, they resort to drug therapy. Let's look at these issues in more detail.

Flat feet are another cause of pain. It can be congenital, against the background of an insufficient amount of connective tissue during the formation of the foot, and acquired as a result of wearing low-quality shoes.

Arthritis, arthrosis and vascular disease in the legs also affect the normal nutrition of fibrous tissue, limiting the supply of essential micronutrients for metabolism.

Overweight people need to think about losing it. Only by eliminating the original cause of fasciitis, you can get rid of it forever.

Heel spur symptoms are important signs that help in determining the overall picture of the disease and in the fight against it.

Medical treatment for plantar fasciitis

Calcaneal fasciitis or in other words plantar, plantar fasciitis in the advanced stage is subject only to medical treatment. It includes the therapy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in tablets and ointments: Motrin, Indomethacin, Aliv, Diclofenac and its analogues, Advil. They contain the active ingredients ibuprofen and aspirin. The course of treatment with them is long, but effective.

Injection procedures with the introduction of corticosteroids are also practiced: hydrocortisone or betamethasone. Such hormonal drugs with a powerful anti-inflammatory effect can damage the fascia and result in acquired flat feet and chronic pain.

Treatment of plantar fasciitis is possible with homeopathic remedies when there are no bone growths yet. In addition to the anti-inflammatory effect, preparations based on plant extracts improve the elasticity of the ligaments, which leads to a decrease in pain during mechanical impact on the foot.

Physiotherapy methods

Plantar fasciitis is effectively treated with the help of devices that affect the diseased area only mechanically - ultrasound (phonophoresis), current (iontophoresis), laser, magnetic field; shock wave therapy improves with the use of corticosteroids: betamethasone, hydrocortisone and disprospan.

Physiotherapeutic methods are successfully used in complex and conservative treatment of foot diseases.

Traditional medicine

In the initial stages of the disease, you can use proven methods of traditional medicine: compresses, ointments and applications.

Compresses

Plantar fasciitis, which is supposed to be treated at home, responds well to the correct application of compresses:

each overlay should be wider than the previous one;
it is not recommended to exercise excessive force when fixing the layers on the ankle;
take a lot of time for action (make a compress for the night).

So, what folk remedies are used for compresses:

medicinal herbs in the form of tinctures in an alcoholic liquid;
apple cider vinegar diluted with water 1:1;
a leaf of cabbage (burdock), smeared with honey (chalk);
raw potatoes or garlic, grated on a coarse grater;
raw black radish and horseradish root, grated and mixed in a ratio of 1:1.

The above recipes are the medicinal components of the compressors, which must be applied according to the following rules:

prepared natural ingredient;
cling film to create a thermal effect;
warm material (baize, woolen scarf);
bandage for fixation.

Trays

Treatment of fasciitis at home is practiced by taking a variety of baths:

Saline. The solution is prepared as follows: 3 tables are diluted in 1 liter of hot water. spoons of salt. Place the sore heel in the bath and steam for at least half an hour. Wipe your leg dry and wrap it in a warming cloth, go to bed;
Iodine-soda. Pour 1 teaspoon of soda into a bowl with 1 liter of warm water and drip 10 drops of iodine. Soar for 10 minutes, then wipe the foot dry and treat the sore spot with an iodine mesh;
Based on vodka. How to treat plantar fasciitis at home by taking a bath with a solution of vodka, table vinegar and turpentine? It is necessary to mix all the ingredients in a 1: 1 ratio, heat, place the leg and hold until the composition has cooled completely. For greater efficiency, the procedure is recommended to be carried out 2 times.
Icy. Immersion of the heel (without fingers) is performed in cold water with ice for 10 minutes;
From the peel of walnuts. Plantar fasciitis in the initial stage or in complex therapy is well treated with a bath, the solution for which must be prepared as follows: boil chopped green peel from walnuts for 10 minutes. Before going to bed, soak your foot in the bath for 15 minutes;
Based on antispasmodic and antimicrobial drug. The bath consists of 1 liter of water, 2 tbsp. spoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 table. spoons of honey and 2 tablets of furatsilina and analgin. Bring the composition to homogeneity and place the foot for 20 minutes. After the procedure, the calcaneal fasciitis is subjected to heat exposure - wrap in clay for 10-20 minutes.

Applications

Plantar fasciitis, the treatment of which is carried out at home (photo below), can be carried out using application overlays. This procedure helps to use all the forces of nature from natural ingredients, nourishing the tissues with microelements important for it.

An effective application is a mixture of mountain wax and paraffin. They are heated to 40 ° C, mixed, applied to a sore spot, wrapped in a warm cloth and put on a plastic bag on the leg. Leave the application for half an hour.

Unfortunately, it will not work to cure fasciitis of the sole of a complex shape with overlays, but it will be useful to use them in complex therapy.

Auxiliary Procedures

Plantar fasciitis: treatment at home and in the hospital, may undergo additional procedures that are aimed at restoring fibrous tissue. These include:

patches with a therapeutic composition;
ointments with a warming and analgesic effect;
homeopathic lotions.

Plantar fasciitis, which can be treated at home, cannot be started in a severe form, otherwise all methods will be powerless, which will lead to surgical intervention.

Plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia) is often diagnosed in women aged 40 and older. Doctors call the main causes of the disease:

Prolonged wearing of uncomfortable shoes.
The presence of excess body weight.
Diabetes, gout and other diseases.
Flat feet, circulatory and metabolic disorders in the lower extremities.
Previous foot injuries (especially for people who are professionally involved in sports).

It can be difficult to recognize and start treatment in a timely manner, because the disease in the early stages can manifest itself in the form of swelling and fatigue of the legs. After some time, patients may notice an increase in pain in the heel area, which will persist even at rest. That is why if you are in at least one of the risk groups, you begin to notice discomfort in your feet, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible.

Treatment of plantar fasciitis at home

Despite the warnings of doctors, many patients who have been diagnosed with fasciitis prefer to treat themselves at home using folk recipes. Judging by the reviews, such remedies as medical bile, salt, iodine, honey, propolis, etc. help relieve pain, swelling of soft tissues, restore blood circulation and metabolism. Medicines made on the basis of these components must be taken in courses, given the presence contraindications. In some patients, who complexly use both folk and traditional methods of treatment, relief came quickly enough, most of the unpleasant symptoms passed. That is why it is necessary to list the common folk ways to eliminate plantar fasciitis.

Medical bile against inflammation

Medicinal bile, which was used in ancient times as a treatment for joint diseases, helps to relieve the unpleasant symptoms of fasciitis. You can find this drug at any pharmacy, and you do not need a prescription from a doctor to purchase it. The following bile-based recipes will eliminate heel pain, reduce soft tissue swelling, and normalize metabolism:

Mix bile and vodka in a 1:1 ratio. Steam your sore legs in hot water, and then apply a bandage soaked in a medicinal composition to the affected areas. Put parchment or waxed paper on top, apply a bandage from an elastic bandage and put on a woolen sock. It is more expedient to do such warming compresses at night for 20-25 days (usually after this time there comes a noticeable relief).
A compress of vodka, shampoo and bile will not only relieve pain, but also make the skin soft and supple. To prepare this remedy, you will need 20 grams of vodka (or alcohol) and shampoo, as well as 50 grams of medical bile. The composition is also applied to gauze and applied to sore spots.
There are other folk recipes using bile from plantar fasciitis, however, the above can be called not only effective, but also easy to manufacture.

Egg and Vinegar

An ointment made from vinegar, eggs and honey used to be famous for its anti-inflammatory and regenerating properties. To prepare such a remedy for plantar fasciitis, you need to take a chicken egg and place it in a container with vinegar for several days (vinegar can be anything - apple, rice, etc.). During this time, the shell will dissolve, and the egg-vinegar essence will remain in the cup. The resulting ingredient must be poured into a large container, add 30–50 g of natural butter and mix thoroughly. The finished drug should be applied to a piece of bandage or gauze, applied to the heel spur all night, providing the sick foot with peace and warmth.

Aspirin for plantar fasciitis

Aspirin, which is familiar to everyone, has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect on plantar fasciitis, eliminating most of the unpleasant symptoms. With a course of treatment with folk remedies based on aspirin, you can not only get rid of acute pain in the heel area, but also improve blood circulation and metabolism in the tissues affected by the disease.

The easiest way is to prepare a solution of aspirin and vodka by mixing the components in the proportion of 10 tablets per 250 ml of liquid. As soon as the remedy is infused (1–1.5 days), it must be applied to a piece of gauze and applied to the sore heel overnight. In order to avoid rapid drying of the matter, polyethylene is placed on top, fixing it with an elastic bandage and putting on a woolen sock. Relief occurs in about 7-14 days. If the solution is very dry and corrodes the skin, in the morning it should be treated with a greasy cream or natural butter.

Treatment of plantar fasciitis with iodine

Folk remedies based on an iodine-alcohol solution are in great demand among patients who have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Their main difference is ease of preparation, as well as impressive efficiency. During the course of treatment, many patients stopped complaining of acute pain in the heel, noticed the appearance of ease when walking, a decrease in edema and a burning sensation.

Iodine baths

This method of treatment will not require special time and material costs, because to prepare the medicine, you need to take 2-5 tbsp. l. iodine solution and dilute them in 3 liters of hot water. Baths should be taken daily for 20 minutes. After the procedure is completed, the feet are wiped dry, an iodine mesh is applied to the heel and woolen socks are put on. In addition, you can simply immerse your heels in a concentrated solution of iodine for 5-10 minutes. With this treatment, the active ingredient penetrates the skin, stopping the process of inflammation of the soft tissues.

Sea salt for heel spurs

Sea and table salt has also proven itself in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. This substance has an anti-inflammatory and warming effect, allows you to normalize metabolism and blood circulation in soft tissues.

Compresses with sea salt, iodine and honey

To prepare this remedy, you will need 50 ml of an iodine-alcohol solution, a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of salt. All components must be thoroughly mixed, then applied to a piece of gauze or a cotton swab, applied to a sore spot and fixed with an elastic bandage. It is more expedient to do such a procedure at night, providing the foot with warmth and peace.

Salt massage

Daily massage with salt heated in a frying pan will help relieve pain in fasciitis. With course treatment, in some cases, complete elimination of the disease was observed.

Salt baths

Preparing a bath with salt, which will eliminate the pain and burning sensation of a heel spur, is very simple. To do this, you need to dissolve a pack of table or sea salt in hot water, wait until the water cools slightly and immerse the sore heels in it. The procedure continues until the water cools to room temperature. The course of treatment is 10-14 days.

Folk remedies based on burdock

Fresh burdock leaves can also stop the inflammatory process in plantar fasciitis, improve blood circulation, and help eliminate toxins and waste from soft tissues. In order for the plant to begin to have healing properties on the feet affected by the disease, you just need to apply this natural remedy to the sore heel, fix it with an elastic bandage and put on a woolen sock. As soon as the burdock leaf dries, you should take a fresh one and repeat the procedure.

Crushed burdock leaf with the addition of a tablespoon of castor oil can get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of fasciitis, as well as soften cracked and irritated skin in the heel spur area. In most cases, improvement becomes noticeable after 7-14 days from the start of treatment.

Honey and propolis in the fight against plantar fasciitis

Bee products (honey and propolis) are also used as folk remedies for getting rid of plantar fasciitis. From these components, you can make decoctions, compresses, ointments. For example, you can make a natural ointment from honey and wheat flour by mixing the ingredients in a 1:1 ratio. The resulting mass should be thoroughly kneaded, shaped into a cake and applied to the heel spur. During the course of treatment, the active components contained in honey normalize metabolic processes, relieve pain, and reduce swelling of inflamed tissues.

A similar effect can be achieved by preparing propolis-vaseline ointment. To do this, you need to combine the components in a ratio of 1: 2, respectively, and mix them thoroughly. You can add a small amount of butter to the finished mass. Propolis medicine for fasciitis is applied to diseased feet every day until complete recovery (during the procedure, you need to provide warmth and rest to the feet).

In conclusion, it should be said that folk remedies for plantar fasciitis cannot be used as the main method of treatment. To completely eliminate the disease, it is necessary to apply traditional methods - massage, physiotherapy, plasters, medications. It is also necessary to provide unloading for sick feet, wear comfortable, orthopedic shoes, observe sleep and wakefulness. Only in this case it is possible to achieve a noticeable improvement in the condition, to stop the development of the disease.

Plantar fasciitis is a disease that is caused by inflammatory and degenerative changes in the tissues of the plantar fascia and is accompanied by pain in the heel during exercise.

Plantar fascia (plantar aponeurosis) is a dense connective tissue that attaches to the calcaneus and phalanges of the fingers. Its main function is the formation and support of the longitudinal arch of the foot. If a person is standing, half of their weight puts pressure on the plantar aponeurosis. A high load provokes its micro-ruptures in the area that is attached to the heel tubercle.

In many cases, during the time spent in an upright position (during sleep), injuries regress on their own. But under the influence of adverse factors, ruptures of the fascia are repeated. As a result, plantar fasciitis develops, the cause of which is constant microtraumatization of the aponeurosis, leading to aseptic inflammation of the tissues and pain.

Plantar fasciitis of the heel most often affects women over 40 years of age. The following adverse factors increase the likelihood of developing the disease:

overweight;
playing sports in which there is a prolonged load on the heel or on the Achilles tendon;
flat feet or too high arch of the foot;
turning the foot inward while walking;
wearing uncomfortable shoes;
diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
trauma;
gout.

Chronic plantar fasciitis over time can lead to the formation of a heel spur, a bone growth (osteophyte) that occurs as a result of the deposition of calcium salts.

Symptoms

The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel. Unpleasant sensations arise or intensify with exertion. In the morning, they are most pronounced, then gradually subside. This is due to a rupture of the fascia that has grown together during a night's sleep. In addition, the pain intensifies after a long stay in a sitting position, when a person takes the first steps.

The formation of a heel spur can increase the symptoms of plantar fasciitis of the foot, as the bony growths press on the surrounding tissue. In many cases, osteophyte does not manifest itself in any way.

Diagnostics

Plantar fasciitis is diagnosed based on the analysis of complaints and examination. In addition, an x-ray is prescribed, which allows you to detect a heel spur.

During the examination, plantar fasciitis is differentiated from diseases such as:

tarsal tunnel syndrome;
rheumatoid arthritis;
Reiter's syndrome and so on.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis is determined by the severity of its symptoms. In mild cases, the main directions of therapy are to provide unloading of the plantar aponeurosis and eliminate soft tissue inflammation.

Unloading the plantar fascia is achieved by reducing physical activity and periodic rest while walking. The main methods of therapy are gymnastics, taping and the use of special devices for the foot.

The purpose of exercises for fasciitis is to stretch, strengthen and increase the elasticity of the aponeurosis. They must be carried out every morning after a warm-up. Regular exercise helps to lengthen the plantar fascia. As a result, pain is reduced and future injuries are prevented.

After physiotherapy exercises, foot taping is carried out - the application of an elastic tape (teip) or patch to support the longitudinal arch and fix the aponeurosis. When applying the tape, it is necessary to increase its tension when it goes around the leg from below.

To increase the effectiveness of the treatment of plantar fasciitis at home, braces or orthoses are used - devices that fix the foot at a right angle. They are worn all night and do not allow the aponeurosis to shorten. During the daytime, patients with fasciitis are advised to wear orthopedic shoes or insoles with an arch support and a recess in the center of the heel.

To relieve tissue inflammation and reduce pain, practice:

massage;
applying ice;
rubbing with warming and anti-inflammatory drugs;
mud applications;
warm foot baths;
analgesics - ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid, naproxen.

How to treat plantar fasciitis in severe cases? With severe discomfort and significant bone growths, the following methods are used:

injection into the tissues of the foot of glucocorticoids in combination with anesthetics;
shock wave therapy to destroy the heel spur;
laser or ultrasonic effect on inflamed tissues.

With the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment of plantar fasciitis, an operation is performed during which the osteophyte and altered parts of the fascia are removed.

Plantar fasciitis has a favorable prognosis. In advanced cases, the course of the disease can be aggravated due to a fracture of the heel spur.

Prevention

The main measures to prevent plantar fasciitis:

wearing orthopedic shoes;
adequate physical activity;
maintaining normal weight;
treatment of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

If plantar fasciitis occurs, home treatment should be started immediately. The sooner you take the necessary measures, the more likely you are to quickly get rid of the problem and achieve an improvement in well-being. Therapy of the disease is aimed at relieving the pain syndrome and reducing the inflammatory process, the rapid healing of micro-tears and cracks, and increasing the flexibility and strength of the foot.

Priority Actions

If the initial signs of the disease occur, attention should be paid to lifestyle and physical activity. If possible, they should be corrected so as to remove unpleasant symptoms and prevent complications in the future.

With plantar fasciitis, it is necessary to ensure sufficient physical activity. If you use shoes with thin soles every day, you should refrain from walking on asphalt or concrete. It is forbidden to run, as this contributes to the activation of the inflammatory process. At the time of the exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to stop playing sports or limit the exercise that provokes the occurrence of pain.

Ice has a good analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. It can be applied to the heel area at the end of the working day. This will quickly and effectively alleviate the condition.

Very severe pain will help to remove drugs from the NSAID group. They are characterized by a complex effect and have an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-edematous effect. For this purpose, drugs based on Diclofenac or Ibuprofen can be used.

However, drugs should not be used uncontrollably. They have a large number of side effects, in particular, they adversely affect the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract and can provoke the development of ulcers and bleeding.

An important role in successfully getting rid of unpleasant sensations is played by the choice of the right shoes. It must successfully absorb the impact of walking and support the arch of the foot. For the period of exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to abandon the use of slippers, shoes or high-heeled sandals. A pair with a soft and thick sole should be preferred. The ideal option is sneakers.

Proximal localization of fasciitis requires improved footwear. Special inserts in the heel area or orthopedic insoles will help to cope with this problem. Thus, you can reduce the load on the area of inflammation.

Walking barefoot can aggravate the pain, so you need to put on your shoes as soon as possible after getting out of bed. In the morning, it is advisable to do exercises to stretch the lower leg. It will not take much time, only 3-4 minutes, but it will help to effectively strengthen the ligaments and muscles, which will positively affect the course of the disease.

Excess weight has a negative effect on the human ligamentous apparatus, exposing it to increased loads. Therefore, one of the first recommendations in the treatment of plantar fasciitis is weight loss. It is not necessary to lose half the weight, even a slight decrease in indicators will positively affect the patient's well-being.

Being engaged in the treatment of the disease at home, you should remember about some limitations. For example, about the prohibition of long-term thermal procedures. In this case, cold will help reduce pain and relieve inflammation, and elevated temperature will adversely affect the patient's condition. It is desirable to observe this rule even during water procedures and without fail to complete hygiene measures with a cold shower.

The use of baths in the treatment of the disease

How to treat plantar fasciitis with folk remedies? Alternative medicine involves an integrated approach. Therefore, one of the important conditions for successful therapy is the use of baths. Thanks to water procedures, the skin of the affected leg will be well steamed and softened. To enhance the positive result, medicinal components must be added to the liquid.

An additional advantage of this method of treatment is that the subsequent application of a compress will provide a more pronounced therapeutic effect.

The easiest recipe for making a bath is to add soda and salt. For 1 liter of hot water you will need 1 tbsp. l. each means. If desired, you can add a few drops of iodine, which has an antiseptic effect. The duration of water procedures is about 15-20 minutes. It is not recommended to use too hot liquid, since it can not only provoke a burn, but also worsen the patient's well-being.

The healing composition, which includes turpentine, vinegar and vodka, has a good effect. All components must be mixed in equal proportions and slightly heated in a water bath. With the help of the procedure, an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and relaxing effect is achieved.

Treatment with folk remedies includes the use of an "ice bath". Very cold water is suitable for this. The addition of crushed ice will further lower the temperature of the liquid. The procedure should be done carefully, only the heel should be lowered into the water, and the total duration should not exceed 5-10 minutes. Otherwise, there is a high risk of frostbite on the feet.

The use of compresses in the treatment of plantar fasciitis

Folk remedies in the treatment of the disease necessarily include drugs for topical use. The use of compresses has a good therapeutic effect. Due to the correct application of the application, optimal conditions are created for the deep penetration of the drug deep into the epidermis. For compresses, you can use the following recipes:

Horseradish and laundry soap. Grind both components in equal proportions, mix well and put on the area of inflammation. Attach to leg, cover with plastic bag or wax paper and wrap. It is advisable to do this procedure at night so that the medicine acts on the pathological focus as long as possible. The tool has an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Apply the application daily at bedtime until you feel better.
Sunflower tincture. Cut off the head of a flowering plant and take out the white porous pulp. Grind the mass, put in a glass container and pour vodka. The liquid should cover the sunflower by 0.5–1 cm. Leave the product in a dark place for 10-14 days. Before use, strain the tincture and add sunflower, olive, linseed or any other vegetable oil in a ratio of 1:1. The tool is used for rubbing and applying compresses.
Infusion of cinquefoil. For its preparation, it is necessary to grind the root of the plant. 2 tbsp. l. pour 50 ml of water and insist for 2 hours. After this time, strain the remedy, and mash the remaining pulp to a puree-like consistency. Put the mass on the heel and apply a compress. The duration of the drug is at least 10-12 hours. Therefore, the procedure should be done at bedtime so that the patient does not have to walk with the application.
Beets and apple cider vinegar. To apply a compress, you need to grate the vegetable and mix with apple cider vinegar in equal proportions. The tool has a pronounced emollient, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Its only drawback is that it can stain the sole red, which is relevant only in the hot season.
Elderberry tincture. It has strong anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. To prepare it, it is necessary to pour the berries with medical alcohol and insist for 5-7 days. It is advisable to do this in a glass container. Use the finished product for rubbing and applying compresses - moisten a piece of cotton fabric or gauze in a liquid, apply to a sore spot and wrap it on top.

The use of ointments and rubbing

Therapy of plantar fasciitis with folk remedies involves the use of drugs for rubbing into the inflamed area several times a day.

The easiest way to prepare an ointment is to twist fresh unsalted lard in a meat grinder and use it as a rub. To enhance the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of fat, it must be fixed on the heel area and left overnight. To avoid unnecessary worries, fat can not be twisted and put on a whole slice. It will also have a positive effect.

When treating fasciitis with folk remedies, you should definitely use an effective propolis-based recipe. To prepare the ointment, mix 25 g of grass and 200 g of butter, melt the mixture in a water bath and rub the inflamed heel. The product can be left on all night, and to avoid soiling bed linen, put on a sock on top.

Golden mustache has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Ointments, infusions, rubbing and other forms based on it are used in the treatment of many diseases. For medicine use the stem and leaves of the plant. To enhance the healing effect, the cut parts should be put in the freezer for several hours. After that, pass through a meat grinder and add animal fat (pork, bear, badger). For 1 part of the golden mustache you will need 2 parts of lard. The tool is used as an ointment, but not used for applying compresses. The medicine should be kept in the refrigerator so that it retains its consistency.

Therapy of fasciitis with folk remedies will help to cope with the inflammatory process without the use of pharmacological drugs. However, you should be patient, because this treatment, although it is absolutely safe, does not act as quickly as medicines.

Priority Actions

Ice has a good analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. It can be applied to the heel area at the end of the working day. This will quickly and effectively alleviate the condition.

However, drugs should not be used uncontrollably. They have a large number of side effects, in particular, they adversely affect the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract and can provoke the development of ulcers and bleeding.

The use of baths in the treatment of the disease

An additional advantage of this method of treatment is that the subsequent application of a compress will provide a more pronounced therapeutic effect.

The use of compresses in the treatment of plantar fasciitis

Horseradish and laundry soap. Grind both components in equal proportions, mix well and put on the area of inflammation. Attach to leg, cover with plastic bag or wax paper and wrap. It is advisable to do this procedure at night so that the medicine acts on the pathological focus as long as possible. The tool has an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Apply the application daily at bedtime until you feel better.
Sunflower tincture. Cut off the head of a flowering plant and take out the white porous pulp. Grind the mass, put in a glass container and pour vodka. The liquid should cover the sunflower by 0.5–1 cm. Leave the product in a dark place for 10-14 days. Before use, strain the tincture and add sunflower, olive, linseed or any other vegetable oil in a ratio of 1:1. The tool is used for rubbing and applying compresses.
Infusion of cinquefoil. For its preparation, it is necessary to grind the root of the plant. 2 tbsp. l. pour 50 ml of water and insist for 2 hours. After this time, strain the remedy, and mash the remaining pulp to a puree-like consistency. Put the mass on the heel and apply a compress. The duration of the drug is at least 10-12 hours. Therefore, the procedure should be done at bedtime so that the patient does not have to walk with the application.
Beets and apple cider vinegar. To apply a compress, you need to grate the vegetable and mix with apple cider vinegar in equal proportions. The tool has a pronounced emollient, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Its only drawback is that it is able to paint the sole in red, which is relevant only in the hot season.
Elderberry tincture. It has strong anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. To prepare it, it is necessary to pour the berries with medical alcohol and insist for 5-7 days. It is advisable to do this in a glass container. Use the finished product for rubbing and applying compresses - moisten a piece of cotton fabric or gauze in a liquid, apply to a sore spot and wrap it on top.

The use of ointments and rubbing

Therapy of plantar fasciitis with folk remedies involves the use of drugs for rubbing into the inflamed area several times a day.

Has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Ointments, infusions, rubbing and other forms based on it are used in the treatment of many diseases. For medicine use the stem and leaves of the plant. To enhance the healing effect, the cut parts should be put in the freezer for several hours. After that, pass through a meat grinder and add animal fat (pork, badger). For 1 part of the golden mustache you will need 2 parts of lard. The tool is used as an ointment, but not used for applying compresses. The medicine should be kept in the refrigerator so that it retains its consistency.

Very dangerous. You need to start worrying already when you feel discomfort when getting out of bed in the morning.

Problem Diagnosis

In most cases, foot pain is caused by plantar fasciitis. This inflammatory disease can lead to lameness, and in advanced cases, patients cannot even stand on their feet without assistance.

You can independently suspect the development of this disease if you notice morning pain on the soles of the feet in the heel area. Usually, discomfort subsides, and often disappears by the end of the day. But they can resume after a long rest of the legs. Plantar fasciitis should not be underestimated. Symptoms, the treatment of which is desirable to begin immediately, are becoming more noticeable every day. As a result, getting up in the morning becomes a real torture, and the pain does not subside throughout the day.

At the first problems, it is advisable to go to the doctor. The surgeon will examine the affected leg, send it for x-rays to identify a heel spur and rule out other possible problems. He will also listen to all your complaints and clarify exactly when the pain occurs. According to your description, visual examination and X-ray data, the final diagnosis will be established.

Causes of the disease

In most cases, plantar fasciitis develops for a reason. The most susceptible to this disease are people with flat feet, high instep, overweight. Also, problems with the fascia can begin due to a sharp intense load, regular wearing of high heels and other shoes that are uncomfortable for the foot.

Sole fasciitis occurs due to the fact that when walking and other loads on the foot, there is an incorrect distribution of weight. Normally, a person should lean on the outer edge of the foot, and then move to its inner side. But with overweight, flat feet and other related causes, this mechanism is disrupted. As a result, overstretching of the fascia occurs, followed by its micro-tears. They are the ones that cause pain.

The development of the inflammatory process

Due to the excessive load on the plantar fascia, which connects the calcaneus to the forefoot and supports its longitudinal arch, all problems arise. Most often, the ligaments are injured at the point of attachment to the heel. As a result of this, micro-tears appear, which are ways to heal on their own. But the constant injury of these areas leads to the fact that in their place there is inflammation, accompanied by pain. In most cases, plantar fasciitis is also accompanied by an overgrowth of the heel bones. The x-ray shows a spur-shaped growth.

It is worth noting that women most often suffer from the disease, and people over 40 years of age are mostly affected. The risk group includes all patients with overweight, spinal problems, joint diseases, heel bone injuries, gout, circulatory disorders, flat feet and other similar problems.

Disease prevention

It is desirable for every person to know how to avoid such a disease as plantar fasciitis. Treatment of the initial stages of the disease and preventive methods are very similar. So, you can prevent the development of the inflammatory process with the help of simple gymnastics and stretching exercises. But no less attention should be paid to the choice of shoes and insoles. It is desirable to use orthopedic options in which the foot is well supported.

Do not forget about exercises for uniform stretching of the plantar fascia. Every day it is desirable to roll with pressure of the foot through any interior threshold. For these purposes, a regular bottle is also suitable. Another exercise that can help prevent plantar fasciitis is stretching. To do this, pull your feet towards you for 10 seconds daily, repeat this 20 times for each leg. Stretching the calf muscle is also an effective method.

Treatment of the initial stages of fasciitis

If you neglected preventive methods and did not see a doctor when the first symptoms appeared, then you will most likely need medical methods. Of course, at first your doctor will recommend using simple methods that help most patients with plantar fasciitis. Symptoms for which treatment will be effective must not yet be expressed too clearly. That is, the patient may have problems with the feet when getting out of bed in the morning. But during the day, the sensations subside and completely disappear by the evening. In this case, you can use the cold: for this, you can roll a plastic bottle with ice or just well-chilled water for 10 minutes several times a day. This method is able to relieve swelling and reduce inflammation.

Also, doctors in most cases recommend reducing the load on the legs, for example, giving up long walking and running. At night, the doctor may advise you to wear special boots that prevent the fascia from contracting during rest. In a hospital setting, various physiotherapeutic procedures can be carried out, which also give a noticeable effect, inflammation decreases after just a few sessions.

Medical treatment

If simple methods do not give the desired result and plantar fasciitis does not go away, then surgeons may recommend other ways to get rid of the problems. Your doctor may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This group includes drugs that contain ibuprofen, naproxen or regular aspirin. These can be drugs such as Motrin, Advil, Aliv, Diclofenac, Indomethacin.

In more advanced cases, corticosteroid injections may be given. These are special hormonal drugs with a pronounced anti-inflammatory mechanism of action. Only a doctor can do them, since the slightest mistake in the introduction of these funds can cause damage to the fascia. And this will provoke flat feet and chronic pain.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory disease of the plantar fascia that occurs as a result of excessive load on the foot and / or injury to it. Develops gradually. It is typical for people of the middle and older age categories, in most cases in women. Pathology is more common on one foot, but over time, inflammatory and dystrophic processes also affect the other limb.

The plantar fascia is a patch of connective tissue that connects the heel bone and toes. It forms and supports the arch of the foot, so when walking and standing, all the load falls on it. Under the influence of negative factors, microtraumas occur in the plantar fascia, which can pass on their own, or, accumulating, lead to inflammation - plantar fasciitis.

Ignoring the symptoms will lead to further disruption of the trophism of the surrounding tissues. This can cause an outgrowth (heel spur) on the heel bone, which will further aggravate the person's condition.

Causes and risk factors

The causes of plantar fasciitis are as follows:

increased body weight;
diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
flat feet;
prolonged load on the legs, for example, standing work;
high arch of the foot;
sports loads;
foot injury;
wrong shoes.

Risk factors include age, as degenerative changes occur in the joints and tissues of the musculoskeletal system. Women spend more time on their feet than men, so they are at greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis.

The disease can also develop during pregnancy, as the load on the legs increases. In addition, a number of diseases, such as gout or diabetes, also become provoking factors for pathology.

Signs and symptoms of the disease

The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain. They are characterized by:

increased after prolonged walking or standing;
in the morning, after waking up, it hurts to step on the heel;
intensifies in the evening;
can be localized not only in the area of the foot, but also in the fingers, muscle tissue of the lower leg.

Visually, at the site of inflammation, there may be swelling and hyperemia. Gradually, other symptoms of the disease are added:

cramps in the foot and lower leg;
restriction of mobility;
lameness;
foot deformity.

The inflammatory process is very rarely accompanied by fever or intoxication, so the general well-being, as a rule, does not suffer. However, the pain that increases over time and the gradual destruction of tissues greatly reduces the quality of life.

Diagnostics

Usually, the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is made based on the patient's complaints and the initial examination of the doctor (orthopedist, surgeon, therapist). You need to be prepared to tell the specialist about such points related to the course of the disease as: the time when pain occurs most often, injuries (even minor ones), the nature of the work, and others.

The doctor will definitely prescribe an x-ray or MRI to find out that the symptoms are not related to another disease. It happens that it is at this moment that the patient learns about the existence of a heel spur (bone growth). It is also possible to conduct an ultrasound examination. It shows swelling of the fascial tissue.

In addition to the above, to assess the condition of nerve cells and muscle tissue, a specialist can refer to a number of tests. They will show the level of muscle tone, reflex conduction and other indicators that will help adjust the treatment tactics.

Medical therapy

Treatment of plantar fasciitis is long and complex. Treatment tactics depend on the degree of development of the disease. If at the very early stage you can get by with home treatment, consisting of folk remedies, gymnastics and massage, then in the future, a drug injection is shown, or surgical (in extreme cases). The duration of therapy can reach 2 years.

traditional medicine

Among drugs, preference is given to NSAIDs. They are prescribed, most often, in the form of ointments, gels, tablets. However, they can also be used by injection. These are, for example, diclofenac, indomethacin and their analogues, and others.

In addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, courses of corstisteroid drugs are indicated in difficult cases. Such medicines cannot be used independently, they are used only as directed by a doctor. It is possible to inject directly into the sole. This makes it possible to quickly get rid of the pain syndrome. However, it is often not used, since the method contributes to the destruction of the fascia.

Physiotherapy procedures

Physiotherapy procedures are aimed at eliminating swelling and inflammation, accelerating tissue regeneration, restoring trophism, nerve conduction and other processes. In the treatment of plantar fasciitis, methods such as:

ultraphonophoresis;
laser radiation;
a magnetic field;
shock wave therapy;
paraffin therapy and others.

As one of the methods of physiotherapy, massage is actively used. It improves the mobility of the ligamentous, muscular and articular apparatus, enhances blood and lymph flow in damaged tissues. Massage sessions go well with gymnastic exercises.

ethnoscience

Traditional medicine, like the official one, has a large arsenal of tools and methods for treating plantar fasciitis. Basically, these are external means: self-made ointments, compresses, lotions, applications, baths.

ATTENTION! A greater effect can be achieved by combining several procedures at the same time. For example, after a bath, apply ointment. The place can be wrapped in cellophane, and then wrapped.

For the treatment of plantar fasciitis, you can use the following recipes:

soar legs for half an hour in a strong saline solution;
for 10 minutes, keep the feet in a solution of soda and iodine (per liter you need 7-10 grams of bicarbonate and 10 drops of iodine):
take vodka, vinegar (12%), turpentine - mix everything in the same amount, keep the foot in the mixture until it cools down;
steam the crushed cinquefoil root for a couple of hours with boiling water, and then apply it in the form of gruel to the affected area all night in the form of a compress;
pour elderberry berries with alcohol, and rub the sole of the foot with tincture, wrap the heel warmly after the procedure.

Before using folk methods, you need to remember about the possibility of an allergic reaction to plant and other compounds, and first conduct a test on a small area of \u200b\u200bthe skin.

Orthopedic appliances

The use of orthopedic devices is an important condition for the effective treatment of heel fasciitis. For example, before going to bed you need to put on a special orthosis. This is a kind of boot or boot that helps stretch the fascia while the person is resting.

Orthopedic insoles should also be purchased, and not on one injured leg, but on both. Arch supports support the arch of the foot and lighten the load on the tissue. They can be ordered individually in specialized centers.

Physiotherapy

The key to the successful impact of physiotherapy exercises is in its regularity. Exercise should be done several times a day. Definitely in the morning and at night. They not only contribute to the stretching of the fascia, but also strengthen and increase its elasticity. This helps relieve pain and prevents injury to the foot.

There are different exercises aimed at treating plantar fasciitis, below are some of them.

Take an ice bottle or a small ball and roll it with your foot on the floor without lifting your leg.
In a seated position, place your foot firmly on the floor. With your hands, pull the thumb up towards the lower leg.
Lying or half-sitting, pull the sock towards you. Can be done without support, either by hand or by using a cloth.
Perform circular motions with the foot in the position of the outstretched leg.

IMPORTANT! In order not to injure the foot additionally, you need to do each exercise a little, but often. 2-4 sets of 30 seconds will be enough.

After performing the exercises on the leg, you need to apply a tape. This is a special elastic band that keeps the fascia fixed and provides support.

Surgery as a last resort

Surgery in the treatment of plantar fasciitis is a last resort. It is used only when the pain becomes unbearable, dystrophic processes develop rapidly, and conservative methods do not bring relief for at least six months.

The operation is carried out, most often, using endoscopic equipment. With this approach, healing is faster, and the process is easier to tolerate. When carrying out manipulations, the surgeon can make a partial incision of the fascia in the region of the calcaneus or its complete cutting off.

Surgery helps eliminate pain in only 70-75% of cases. In other patients, pain does not disappear. In addition, this approach has a high risk of complications: damage to nerve fibers, tumor development (neuroma), infection, and others.

Forecast

With the right approach to treatment, the prognosis of plantar fasciitis is favorable. If symptoms are ignored, treatment requires large physical, moral and material costs. Therefore, it is necessary to contact a specialist in a timely manner.

At least as systemic deviations, since one-time, transient troubles, of course, can arise here as well. But the violations affecting the deep structures of the organ are mainly localized here. Or start here. For a long time we do not even suspect about them or ignore the first signals. For quite a long period of time, this is given to us quite easily. Moreover, we often blame the fingers and heel for problems with the fingers or the heel, not suspecting that their already pronounced pathologies are directly related to the yet unmanifested disease of the arch of the foot.

An unexpected train of thought, isn't it? Nevertheless, this is true: the arch of the foot connects its two supporting ends to each other. As we remember, it is formed by a set of convex metatarsal bones, ligaments that can partially shift these bones, and fascia, the largest and rather powerful muscle of the foot. Due to the fact that the arch of the foot serves as a bridge connecting the heel to the toes, violations of its structures are very often manifested at first by diseases of one of the two ends of this bridge. And there is nothing surprising in that.

Stress foot syndrome is, in fact, the first warning, a signal of the onset of fasciitis. That is, inflammation of the fascia is the next stage - the disease itself. Like everything that is called a syndrome in medicine, a tense foot is a whole complex of sensations, and sensations are quite different. Each of them is separately expressed rather weakly and may not attract due attention from our side. However, all together they create a strong enough discomfort, causing a desire to part with him upon returning home.

A tense foot usually aches both in motion and at rest. Moreover, it is the sole that aches - not the heel, but the entire arch right up to the fingertips. Attempts to instinctively pull the socks towards you without the help of hands are difficult - the arch of the foot literally does not want to straighten out, the fingers are twisted and pressed to their base. With the help of the hand, the foot can be straightened, but the aching pain is greatly increased. And when we let go of the leg, we understand that it has returned to its previous crooked position and we have not achieved anything by this.

No wonder: this phenomenon means that the naturally very flexible and easily stretchable muscle fiber gradually loses its elasticity. Most likely due to constant and too frequent microscopic tears inside it. Normally, such gaps occur during the work of each muscle. And in theory, they should be easily restored due to the ability of the muscles to grow two or three new ones in place of each dead cell. This feature of the muscle fiber is called hypercompensation. And it exists so that the next time the muscles can do more work than the previous one. The striated muscle tissue is less prone to growth than the striated one, but to some extent, hypercompensation is characteristic of any muscles of the body, even the heart.

Of course, the question of why the normal mechanism fails in this case remains open. This can also happen due to a violation of the blood supply to the fascia - as, for example, with arthrosis, deep vein thrombosis, destruction of capillaries as a result of diabetes mellitus. On the other hand, Pele, a patient with congenital diabetes mellitus, somehow managed to live a full and colorful life in football and maintain an excellent blood supply to his legs for more than a decade in big-time sports ...

In fact, the fascia much more often loses its ability to regenerate due to another phenomenon inherent in the muscles, which we discussed above. The muscle, which often freezes in a tense position for a long time, will relax itself for some time, immediately after the end of the load. But it will gradually lose this ability, because such a rhythm of work (tension, and after 8 hours - relaxation) is not normal for the muscles. They can endure it without consequences once, they can endure it quite often, at more or less impressive intervals. But when static tension (and dynamic tension is “squeezed-relaxed”) becomes the main principle of their work, all the degenerative phenomena that we can only imagine quickly begin in them. Therefore, a tense foot is the result of its actual many hours of stress during the day and the loss of the ability to relax on its own even in the evenings.

In many patients the pain when the arch is stretched, and the tendency of the fingers to clench like a fist, is accompanied by a burning sensation in the heels when resting on them for a long time. For example, when we stand still for a while or lie on the floor / bed, bending our knees and resting our heels on the floor. In addition, stiff foot syndrome implies frequent aching pains when stretching the feet, that is, not on ourselves, as we did when trying to stretch, but away from ourselves, as we would do if we wanted to stand on our toes. Such pains are no longer associated with the loss of flexibility of the fascia fiber, but with its spasm. When we try to strain it, the spasm intensifies, and its fibers compress the ligaments of the metatarsal bones.

If during periods of idleness and rest we experience such sensations, we should understand that we already have a sluggish inflammatory process. And that without urgent> measures on our part, it will not go away by itself - it will lead to the next round of sensations called plantar fasciitis.

Causes of fasciitis

Fasciitis is an inflammation of the fascia. As already mentioned, this muscle allows us to bend the toe down, as if in ballet. And if we want to feel it under the arch, the easiest way to do this is by putting our fingers inside the arch, a little closer to the heel, and waving the toe in the air.

Why can fascia become inflamed? The bulk of the world's population without a medical education for some reason believes that inflammation and sepsis are synonymous. In most cases, what we observe in our body is indeed sepsis - inflammation resulting from an infection. But a slightly smaller percentage of cases are associated with aseptic inflammations that occur without infection, as a result of chronic tissue injury.

We understand what a chronic injury is: this is the name of the result of a slight injury that occurs during prolonged exposure to this tissue or bone of some negative factor. Chronic injuries are never severe in terms of the number of affected areas and the depth of changes in them. Nevertheless, getting rid of them quickly is a rare scenario. Similarly, it is difficult to achieve full tissue repair after such episodes. Inflammations that occur in places of chronic injuries are not infectious, although the infection may join them later. We have already seen a similar scenario - just now. when talking about cracked heels. But we said that fasciitis results from chronic trauma to the fascia. What could have led to it?

The answer is obvious: of course, the loads on the foot that occur during walking or in other special situations. For example, this disease often appears in dancers, including ballet, gymnasts, circus acrobats. By the way, it is professional fasciitis that is closest to acute in terms of manifestations and course. It starts suddenly, proceeds painfully and unsettles the dancer for a long time. In our country, it is formed rather as a chronic one, but it is easier to treat it under certain circumstances.

Fasciitis occurs when there is too much pressure on the middle of the foot. At a young age, the reason for this may be excess weight or love for shoes, in which the upper part is, as it were, wider than the lower one. Most of the women's shoes are made of this type. Let's pay attention to the beauties around us: whether they stand on a heel or on a sole, but the bones of their thumbs and little fingers certainly protrude so that they go a little beyond the sole. At the same time, men's shoes most often look different: the contour of the sole, when viewed from above at the toe of the shoe, is clearly visible - along with the stitching.

We agree that the “sole wider than the top” model looks somewhat less elegant and resembles either a goose foot or diving fins. Especially if a person has a wide leg by nature. The fair sex in the majority believes their feet are far from the ideal of beauty - that is, too wide and excessively long. Like Chinese women, modern European ladies are sure that the more miniature a woman's foot looks, the closer it is to perfection. Hence the peculiarities of shoes sewn for mass consumption.

In principle, sloping shoes not only can cause fasciitis due to the automatic under-collar of the foot inward when walking. It is characterized by extreme instability, the foot constantly strives to slip from it outward, then inward. This does not depend at all on the habit of the owner for shoes of this type, the shape of the legs, posture, and the state of the skeleton. Winter boots of this type significantly increase the likelihood of serious injury in a fall, not to mention the likelihood of a fall itself. And demi-season and summer can accelerate the development of deforming arthrosis of the ankle and knee joints. And lead to deformation of the toes (especially the little fingers), the appearance of serious skin problems on the fingers - ingrown dry calluses and corns. From the side of the heel, the picture is even less pleasing, because chronic fasciitis is considered one of the causes of the development of the heel spur. Fasciitis often develops in people who, on the contrary, strive in every possible way to maintain good physical shape by playing sports. For example, hard work in almost all simulators for leg muscles, classes in any kind of dance and athletics, and finally, can lead to it. And then, fasciitis often occurs as an age-related phenomenon - as the arch of the foot straightens and flattens over the years. This is especially true for people who were born with a relatively high arch of the foot. With such an anatomical feature, the likelihood of fasciitis increases significantly, since almost any prolonged load that causes the arch to “sag” to the floor leads to excessive tension on the fascia fiber.

Symptoms and signs of fasciitis

No matter how strange it may sound, but the main symptom of fasciitis is a dull, aching, pronounced pain in the sole, with a clear emphasis towards the heel, not the toe. In an acute (as acute as it is with fasciitis) process, pain occurs literally every time you try to get up after a break of more than 30 minutes. Also, acute fasciitis is often accompanied by a slight swelling of the area between the heel and the part of the arch adjacent to it, an increase in temperature in the entire hollow of the arch, swelling after long loads, stiffness of the foot, which is especially noticeable at the end of the step, when pushing the fingers back.

Chronic fasciitis also gives pain, but most often only after a really long rest, say, at night. The first steps after waking up are given to the patient with difficulty, since the pain at this time can be sharp and even shooting. The mobility of the foot in all moments where we need to rise on our toes is noticeably reduced. But after a while, the sensations become dull and disappear. Patients with fasciitis do not tend to limp when walking when the foot has already been "developed" after sleep. And besides these first few steps, which are given with great difficulty, the disease may not remind you of anything.

Patients with this disease can even attend training sessions according to their usual schedule and withstand the usual load on their legs, although they are no longer able to endure competitive loads. However, every productive day or training only worsens the morning sensations in a sore leg. In addition, people who are more or less attentive to themselves may notice that in the second half of a fruitful (especially for the legs) day, a feeling of heat and aching heaviness appears in the sore leg.

Stressed foot and fasciitis treatment

Self-treatment of a tense foot (as the first indicator of fascia problems) is quite possible and will not be difficult for anyone. The main thing here is to stop deluding yourself that a few almost intuitive finger rubs will solve the problem. Intuitively, we do everything right - we want to knead, rub, massage a stiff place ... In the same way, natural self-healing skills tell us to warm up the site of inflammation or, conversely, apply ice to the site of injury.

These instincts should be obeyed, but obeyed more carefully. If we already feel that the foot needs a massage, we should also understand that a massage carried out in 3-5 seconds has not helped anyone in any way. True, instinct will not tell us the latter - this will have to be understood with the help of reason.

Indeed, the essence of our current problem is that the fascia fiber is slightly damaged (slightly so far), there is a spasm in it and, probably, blood stasis. In two to four weeks, this congestion will become the basis of extensive inflammation, so it would be wiser to remove it now, while we can get a quick and good result. If we do everything right and put in a minimum of effort, we won’t even need to change shoes, put on some special insoles, be interested in arch supports made exclusively for us ...

However, if our legs periodically receive some kind of load in addition to normal walking (in fact, any sport, including swimming), it should definitely be abandoned for up to two weeks. In most cases, the treatment takes about one week, sometimes a couple of days more. We take comfort in the thought that we will treat fasciitis much longer and without any guarantee that the elasticity of the fiber will be completely restored. And when the consolation will work, we will begin treatment.

Stressed foot treatment

Often, chronic spasm of the muscles of the foot reflects the general state of the nervous system of the body. Negative stress, general psychological tension, overload of the cerebral cortex with information - all this is an indispensable attribute of modern life. The work of the muscles is controlled by neurons, therefore their general excitation and congestion simply cannot but create foci of muscle tension. In addition, muscle activity and muscle tone are very dependent on the amount of stress hormones in the blood, especially adrenaline.

Let's put it this way: the power of the influence of the cortex on the muscles of the body (and the muscles of the body - on the processes that are fundamental for the whole organism) should not be underestimated. If we are always “on our nerves”, we don’t know how to calm down in a timely manner and leave the day’s chores outside the front door, gradually our fingers will begin to reflexively clench into fists not only on our feet, but also on our hands. And then either these very fists will be used, or we will end up with a cardiologist with hypertension, arrhythmia, angina pectoris and a couple more units in the “bouquet”.

If our foot problems are directly related to stress, then they will be observed with both fascia to the same extent. Also, they will get worse each time. when we are more nervous than usual. Of course, if we temporarily change our shoes for orthopedic ones for the sake of experiment, with purely nervous tension this will not give any result.

In general, we should remember that a tense foot is a syndrome that affects both feet at the same time. The result of stress affects both feet to the same extent and rarely turns into fasciitis. But with a physical injury, we will get more pronounced symptoms only in one leg. Usually we are talking about the leg on which the heel heel wears out faster and the toe is torn off. Or the leg on the side of that, so to speak, arm in which we most often carry a regular and grocery bag.

We will not go into details of what the essence of the sign is. To find out why we have different loads on different legs, we will have to undergo a complete and most thorough examination of the entire musculoskeletal system. Perhaps we have scoliosis (curvature in the scapular region) or kyphosis of the lumbar. Maybe there was some kind of trauma in childhood or just in times we have long forgotten. Or maybe we already have age-related phenomena or unevenly developed muscles in certain parts of the body ... There may be many reasons, but the essence of the issue is always the same: the features of the physical development of the bones and muscles of the whole body inevitably affect the condition of our legs. Quite often it goes like this. that one leg suffers more than the other - it all depends on the location of the defect.

In the case of an obvious neurological syndrome, we will have to pay great attention to the issues of stress relief. The simplest option is known to everyone: a month on light herbal antidepressants. For example, tincture of motherwort or valerian. You can also focus on more modern drugs: Novopassite, Perse-ne, Notte, etc. If the problem is more like an injury (one leg in the evenings feels much more strained than the other), you can not drink antidepressants . But in both cases, along with other measures such as relaxing baths, aromatherapy and meditation, we will have to pay attention to the fascia, its fiber and its condition.

Our problem now is. that the fascia has lost the ability to straighten itself. This phenomenon is not so new to our body. Haven't we ever "enough" the neck after a long day at the computer? Or there were no “shoots” in the lower back after a “shock” weekend spent at their summer cottage? Of course, both have happened at least once in a lifetime, but this happens to every person in the world.

Now the same thing is happening with the fascia - it has shrunk and cannot relax. We know that the best remedy for such spasms is massage - and preferably deep. Dry heat can then be applied to the affected area. The next day after both procedures, a “luxurious” hematoma will pop up in this place - blood released by massage from a pinched muscle area. On the other hand, the airy ease of movement that we will gain in this area will seem familiar to us, but forgotten in childhood.

If we've done this before, we'll orient ourselves in the case of the leg. If, however, we treated the lower back and shoulder with ridiculous compresses of ice or, conversely, mustard and fixing bandages, we each time made a big mistake. Namely, they eliminated the effect instead of the cause. From now on, we will know that a spasm differs from a sprain in only one condition: if we received a “backache” when trying to lift more than 20 kg in a jerk. We are definitely stretching. And if it “shot” during a sharp movement (when we grabbed the handrail in the subway), there is nothing to damage the muscles with, and we have a regular spasm.

A warm compress will certainly help. From the third or fifth time, but it will help. We are like a week, not being able to turn our heads to the affected side even a millimeter. Plus, we are pretty tormented with round-the-clock painkillers. Then we will live quietly for another week after the pain from this “lumbago” gradually subsides. And in the end, the situation will inevitably repeat itself - a situation that in reality could be completely resolved in hours and prevented for a very long time ...

So, the first thing you need to learn how to do with strained foot syndrome is foot massage. Preferably both, even if one of them doesn't bother you for an hour or doesn't bother you much. We should take any suitable position in which we can freely, with any effort, press our fingers inside the arch of the foot. Fascia is a relatively large muscle, more precisely, the largest muscle of the foot, but its size cannot be compared even with the triceps muscle of the forearm. Therefore, her massage does not require any special skill or supernatural efforts. The main thing to remember is that the slightest pressure with a fingertip deep into the edematous and pinched fiber will inevitably be painful.

If we have ever been in the massage therapist's office, we probably remember: he warned that it would be painful, and kept his promise. So, the pain will be now - burning, aching, but without "lumbago". It should be remembered that it is not only not a reason to stop warming up - it is a reason to continue it. There is nothing anomalous in this. For comparison and to make sure, we press the finger deeper into some point on the surface, say, the thighs or buttocks. And, having felt the same pain there, we will repeat the experiment with any point, say, the wrist. Nothing like that, right?

We can draw two conclusions from our experiment:

pain when pressing inside the fascia fiber is not unique to it. In exactly the same way, any overworked and edematous muscle will hurt, which means that we do not injure it during massage. We injured her much earlier;
by comparing how much the muscles of the arms and legs hurt, we can easily guess which of them need our help more and for what reason. In our ordinary life, the hands do not do even a third of the work that falls to the legs. So why would they really hurt? If it’s hard for us to endure, let’s try to go for a trick and make a few deep point pressures with the element of “screwing in the screw” in different places of the muscle. Let's let go, wince and wait until the burning sensation subsides in the places where we pressed. Then we'll repeat. From time to time, the pain will dull, gradually turning from burning to as if itchy. This is just great, and when the sensations become more or less bearable, we can greatly speed up the process by starting a continuous, intense massage of the entire arch.

We will have to endure such a painful procedure only for the first time, although we will not be able to do without a session of a comprehensive, deep foot massage that opens our therapeutic season. This should definitely be done once, even if, due to excess weight or loss of flexibility, we need to resort to outside help.

Until we remove the spasm that has kept the muscle in tension for weeks, we will not restore blood circulation in it by any tricks. In the meantime, stagnant blood does not leave the vessels, the muscle will not be able to start the restoration of its fibers. There is no way out - you have to somehow contrive and be patient.

To further maintain the muscle in a normal state, a deep massage of its fibers can be done no more than twice a week. And during the second session, we ourselves will feel that the pain we experienced for the first time is not even in sight, at most the muscle aches slightly at the first pressure. And in between such a deep impact, we can limit ourselves to a few simple exercises that will help relieve daytime fatigue and help the feet relax in a matter of minutes. By the way, many of these techniques improve overall well-being and restore good spirits even after a day full of unpleasant events:

We will purchase a rubber or plastic mat with a well-cut relief on the surface in the store. Only a rug with a pointed “decor” should be taken on only one condition - if these spikes are soft and do not damage the skin. On such a rug you can stomp in the morning, putting it right in front of the bed, or on the bottom of the bath when we go to the shower. A relaxing exercise with a relief rug in the evenings should be done by running a stream of warm water over it. A tonic in the morning is a trickle of cool water. While we are walking on a piece of an impromptu massager, we will not forget to rub our feet on it, straighten it (even spread it out) and pull our fingers several times. Stroke their relief with pads. The procedure should be carried out for at least 15 minutes.
We can grow a much improved version of the massager with our own hands or bring it from a summer vacation at sea. The cultivated massager is, of course, a special grass that is sown on football fields. It is very unpretentious, thick, soft and highly resistant to attempts to eradicate it. It is unreasonable to breed this in a summer cottage, because together with weeds it will “strangle” garden plants. But at home, it is often sown as pet food, as this grass is eagerly nibbled by cats. We also need a wide tray made of durable material, with a bottom perforated in several places - so that water does not accumulate at the bottom for irrigation. A layer of soil should be poured into the basin (a universal mixture is more suitable), sow the grass, water and put the tray where the sun's rays will fall on it. Naturally, if there are cats in the house, the tray should be placed in a place inaccessible to them. Otherwise, we will not see this grass as our ears. When it rises, its cover should be walked every evening - as we would do it for our own pleasure, in ordinary grass. "Walking" in the home meadow should be slowly, with pleasure, with pleasant thoughts in the head, for 15-20 minutes. The simulator that we can pick up from a trip to the sea is called sand or coastal pebbles. It must be collected at least 2 kg, and upon arrival home, carefully sort, rinse and dry. The sand should contain less Shell Fragments, and it is better to choose medium-sized pebbles, without large stones. For exercises, a piece of summer brought from the sea must be poured into a wide dish made of durable material and take a short walk along it - 15-20 minutes is enough.
It is also possible to do without all these devices that require care and delivery efforts. Modern manufacturers of household appliances offer us a wide range of foot massagers and baths with massage functions. If we cannot massage the foot on our own, the massager should be used in different modes and every evening. Combining it with a relaxing foot bath will be a very successful undertaking. At the end of any massage work, we will try to slightly pull the fascia in order to better control the effectiveness of the measures taken. To do this, let's take the fingers of the hand by the toes and gently pull them towards the ankle, towards ourselves. If everything is in order with us, we will be able to pull the toes freely, almost without effort. A slight pulling soreness will be felt evenly over the entire area of the arch and sole. If not, the stretch will be given with the same difficulty, at the beginning of the heel the pain will be more pronounced than anywhere else. And every attempt to take the opposite action (bend the foot down, as in ballet) will end with a aching spasm in the entire arch.

Treatment of fasciitis

It goes without saying that not all of the recommendations given in the previous section apply to fasciitis. So, attempts to pull socks on or away from you with fasciitis are dangerous and doomed to failure. It will hurt, the foot will not want to stretch and will immediately return to its previous position. And our feelings will not improve from all this, but rather worsen - both now and in the morning.

It will take much longer to treat fasciitis than a tense foot. And therapy should begin incomparably more smoothly. Massage at the stage of already existing inflammation will not only help nothing, it can also do much harm. By the way, in addition to massage with fasciitis, in no case should acupuncture be used.

The first thing we need to do is to remove the load from the fascia as much as possible by shifting it to any other part of the foot or shoe. High heels, narrow toe, platform, rigid polyurethane and heavy rubber soles will definitely have to be abandoned for the duration of treatment. It is necessary to switch to sports shoes, by all means inserting orthopedic insoles into it. With advanced fasciitis, the arch of the diseased foot can be deformed. Then the patient's gait becomes like one-sided flat feet. Plus, the diseased leg pushes off the floor when stepping not with the toes, but with the middle of the arch, which only exacerbates the difference in the movement of two different legs. Therefore, sports shoes alone will not be enough here: the sore muscle has not supported the arch for a long time, as it should normally. And this function will temporarily have to be taken over by all the additional devices that we can pick up individually.

Well, as for the insoles, they are best made to order, according to the measurements of your foot. But you can also buy ready-made - after the most careful fitting, of course. And when choosing sneakers, we should take into account their design, since sports shoes also come in different shapes, optimized for different sports.

Our sneakers must have:

light and springy foam sole, covered with a layer of rubber only on the sole - so that it does not wear out too quickly;
secure heel and toe support. That is, sneakers with a heel formed by a series of rubber springs or a sole molded in the shape of a horseshoe. looks unusual, which can attract our attention. But shoes of this type are designed for sports that require frequent jumps in different directions. They play basketball and tennis, do sprints and shuttle runs, etc. But they don’t suit us at all because of the complex balance of the heel with every movement. Therefore, the heel hour of the sole of our sneakers should be solid;
the heel in our sneakers should be 5-7 mm higher than the toe. This rise is equally necessary for both men and women - to avoid the effect of tipping the body back;
the middle part of the sole should follow the natural shape of the foot (the footprint of the shoe should follow the contour of a normal foot, and not a flat one, that is, the inner part of the sole should not be imprinted on the floor);
the sole in the middle part should be equipped with hard outer arch supports. As a rule, they are molded from hard plastic (much harder than any other part of the sole) and painted in various colors. That is, they also perform a decorative function. The arch supports we need will be wide, slightly concave inward, located along the sole, and not across it;
the sole on the toe cannot be too thin. That is, its thickness should not be less than 1 cm. Shoes with thin soles look more elegant, but it should be remembered that we will not rise on our toes on our own. Therefore, at each step, between our stiff fingers and the floor, there must be a gasket capable of bending under the pressure of the pads - a shock absorber;
the toes of sneakers should be wide and high enough so that the fingers are free in them, and if desired, we could even move them slightly;
the upper part of the shoe on the sides in the middle should taper somewhat - in accordance with the natural narrowing of the foot in this place. Shoes, called “shoes” (a special type of youth footwear, flat-soled sneakers deliberately greatly expanded at the sides), require great effort from the feet to keep it on the leg. Since the "shoes" are almost not fixed by lacing, the feeling of wearing them is in many ways reminiscent of walking in sandals - the shoes slam on the heel with every step and strive to jump off. Sandals without fixing the heel are not suitable for every fashionista, and with fasciitis, a similar effect is contraindicated.

It is forbidden for us to massage the fascia in this state of affairs. However, we absolutely must begin to slowly relieve the spasm and fatigue of its fiber, otherwise this treatment can stretch for months, spent almost in vain. The question arises: how can we stretch the fiber without resorting to an active warm-up, which it may not withstand?

As already mentioned, the main enemy of the muscles is not at all a lot of weight or rhythmic, intense, long-term work. In fact, they can work, constantly contracting and relaxing, for hours, and this will not bring them any problems. If we do not forget to supply them with new portions of sugar with food on time, nothing tragic will happen - they will simply get tired in order. But if we force the muscles of the body to freeze for a long time in a tense position, we will always have enough complications even without weights in our hands. Hence the conclusion: our fascia in the normal mode does not work as it should.

Perhaps this is due to our excess weight. Perhaps the fact is that over the years our metatarsal bones straighten, the arch of the foot sags to the floor and stretches the fascia more than it should be. Perhaps it's our habit of carrying weights in only one hand. It is even possible that we have been crouching on this particular leg for a long time due to some problems with posture or the bones of the sacrum / pelvis. In any case, when walking, she strained more than usual for a long time and stayed in this state for longer than necessary. And now, as the pathology progresses, its fiber is already undergoing degeneration itself. That is, it cannot recover from the load due to impaired blood supply and simply collapses.

We have already removed the load from it, let our new sneakers and insoles inserted into them work for the muscle for now. It remains to try to speed up the process of resorption of blood clots in its fibers due to more diverse movements of these fibers without weight. And, of course, not without the help of physiotherapy procedures.

To return the fascia to a sense of normal work in compression-stretching, we will apply gymnastics for the feet:

Let's take slippers and socks off our feet, sit on the floor without a carpet, bend our knees and pull them towards us so that our bare feet can stand freely on the floor. Let's put a handful of coins, pebbles of any shape, glass balls for decoration right under the toes. In a word, any objects a little less or a little more than 1 cm in diameter - objects that it will not be difficult for us to grab with our toes from the floor. Small dishes should be placed next to and to the side of the foot. And now we need, without taking our heels off the floor for a second, to cover alternately one or two pebbles with our toes, turn the foot to the bowl and put them into it. It will be unnecessary to exercise for more than 20 minutes, even if we did not transfer all the items. And having worked with one foot, you need to immediately move on to the other.
We sit on the floor in the previous position: pulling our legs to the chin so that the feet stand freely on the floor. By the way, in order not to overload the lower back, this can be done against the wall, leaning on it with your shoulders - it will become much easier to keep balance. No matter how we choose, we should take our toes with our fingers and pull them slightly, only not up, towards us, but forward, as if we want to stretch them a little in length. Count to three, release. Repeat 5-7 times.
We sit in our previous position on the floor, confidently put our bare feet on it and “drive” them forward, away from ourselves as far as the contraction of the Achilles tendon allows us. Let's stop at the point where the feet are already trying to get off the floor, and put a waffle towel or any dense cotton fabric under the fingers. Grab this fabric with your toes and begin to pull it along the floor along with your feet back towards you. It is impossible to play any parts of the foot from the floor. 2-3 such passages from a far point to a near one will be enough. You should not move the towel away from you - you need to shift it back only with your hands.
Sitting on the floor, we stretch our legs forward and slightly spread them apart so that there is room for movement. Of course, in this case, the feet should not stand on the floor, but “look” at the ceiling - as usual, when we sit with our legs extended along the surface. Our task now is to freely, without the action of weight or the application of other forces, wave our feet back and forth and left and right. Rotations can be preferred to pendulum movements to the sides. The feet need to be moved only as widely and actively as it is given to us with minimal effort. It is impossible to “squeeze” the sore muscle all the way in any direction. If we notice. that the amplitude of free movement of the diseased foot gradually equalizes in comparison with the healthy one, we can congratulate ourselves on the clear success in the treatment.

Of course, all these warm-ups and other measures are recommended to be combined with the therapy of edema and inflammation. Edema will be especially noticeable at the end of the next day spent at work. Even in orthopedic insoles, and even if most of the time we sat, as befits people with sore feet. Well. it is not difficult to deal with the edema itself: it can be easily reduced by attaching a container of ice prepared in advance to it. A 0.5 liter plastic bottle or, even better, ice cubes placed in a plastic bag will do. You can also get reusable drink coolers - plastic balls filled with water. These balls are frozen like ordinary ice in molds, and are placed as needed to cool drinks that do not need to be diluted with ice.

The ice prepared in advance should be poured into a bag, tied tightly and applied to the foot, closer to the heel than to the fingers, for 10-15 minutes. An option is to put it on the floor and place the foot on top. Then you should not strongly press the bag or bottle with your foot, but slightly - it is quite acceptable. You can do with our cooler as we did with a rubber mat, grass and pebbles - knead it with your fingers, roll the sole on it.

Only to do all this is necessary only sitting or even lying down. If we can still afford to be treated with strained foot syndrome when the weight of the whole body presses on the fascia, then with fasciitis we are prescribed to strictly avoid such combinations.

If there is not so much swelling as inflammation (the foot is hot, “shoots through” when moving, when you feel a hard swelling near the heel, it is not always reasonable to treat it with heat. With inflammation and spasm of the shoulder, we would have applied a mustard plaster without hesitation, and we were right. But the fascia in many patients reacts to local heating with an increased tendency to edema instead of the expected relief. If we could eliminate the very cause of blood stasis, this would not happen. But since we are forced to influence it entirely by indirect methods, the high temperature in the tissues can enhance the coagulation (coagulation) of the crumb. And since the blood flow in this area is already disturbed, we risk getting an aggravation of the problem.

So with fasciitis, it is better to remove inflammation with injections of purely medical preparations. Antibiotics are useless here (after all, there is no infection), but corticosteroid hormones will be quite appropriate - they will increase muscle activity in a natural way, relieve pain and indirectly reduce inflammation. However, if hormonal drugs cause us legitimate doubts (they can disrupt the work of the adrenal glands and pituitary gland), it is permissible to resort to other options. For example, fix the ankle with a plaster cast or walk around in a splint for the foot for a while. However, you can try some traditional medicine. Just before using them, you should remember that all these components should be applied to the arch of the foot for a long time and in a cold form.

So we can choose from:

plantain leaves: grind fresh leaves until juice appears, put the whole gruel in gauze, bandage it to the arch of the foot closer to the heel. Dry plantain needs to be brewed: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of herbs in 1 glass of water, let it boil, cook under the lid on the slowest fire for 10 minutes. Then let it cool and strain, soak gauze folded several times in the broth, attach to the base of the heel and fix until it dries;
comfrey leaf: attach and fix until it wilts if the leaf is fresh. You can crush it to release the juice. If dry, proceed as described above with plantain;
celandine grass: take only in dry form, since celandine is poisonous. But it is very good as an anti-inflammatory agent. 1 st. a spoonful of dry celandine grass must be poured with 1 cup of boiling water, heated in a water bath for 10 minutes, cooled and drained. Make a swab of cotton and gauze, soak it in a decoction, put it in the recess of the arch and fix it for 30 minutes. Do not use a decoction of celandine for more than 7 days in a row;
Finally, there is another remedy that noticeably improves the condition of all joints of the body, accelerates their regeneration, and helps restore cartilage and tendon tissue. The remedy is shark oil. The product is sold in the dietary supplements department, in a pharmacy. Shark oil is recommended to be applied to the skin of the foot and rubbed as intensively as the condition of the fascia allows. If it does not allow this, you should thickly smear the arch with fat, bandage it on top, then put on a tight sock.

And by the way, one more nuance. If we have problems with any of the muscles of the body, during the period of their recovery after an injury, we need to eat a sufficient amount of protein with food. All body cells are built not from carbohydrates and not even from fat - they are built from amino acids, into which all varieties of meat and fish break down in our stomach. Therefore, if we are vegetarians or just not meat lovers, with any muscle damage, we will have to temporarily sacrifice our food preferences for necessity. An average person without sports training and large muscle mass needs to eat 150 g of meat or fish per day.