PLANTAR FASCIITIS

Is one of the most frequent injuries in the running field and probably most uncomfortable, because of its location. The plantar surface of the foot sole is very vulnerable for different kinds of impacts during support time in running. The nature of impacts is overloading by one's own body weight or gravity, which the body weight represents.

The mechanics of overloading is very simple. In some cases, it is resisting to the body weight going downward to the ground during support, when plantar muscles and tendons perform as a part of the chain of resistance. It means that the ankle of the support foot is kept tense and the heel is not allowed to move downward. The body weight goes to the most tense muscles and not to the moving part of the body, which is the ankle and its muscles and tendons.

In other cases, plantar fascia gets involved into the active body propulsion in the upward-forward direction through straightening the support leg. In heel-toe running it's going together with the body weight rolling through the foot, which increases plantar loading in the same way it was described above.

So in order to prevent this injury we need to avoid any overloading in this area, by not resisting to the body moving down and not applying active efforts to propel the body forward.

In the both cases we can substitute it by pulling the support foot from the ground, which will eliminate those negative consequences.

If you already got this problem, then the treatment process will be a bit complicated. Pain is there, and it is very difficult to do anything on the feet. Nevertheless I do recommend to continue running, but with restricted length and speed, alternating it with running drills and strength exercises for the feet.

Do concentric and eccentric dorso-flexion and plantar flexion with the weights, rubber bands and the partner's resistance. Do 5 to 10 sets with 30-50 reps in one set on a daily basis. You have to feel your muscles burning. Do short uphill running, alternating with flat running.

Certainly I don't mind the use of any kind of massage and acupuncture, hot baths for the feet and different physiotherapy treatments, but at the end of the day, we need to remember that the best treatment is the proper running technique itself.

Dr.Romanov