Plantar Fasciitis So Bad I Can’t Walk (Heel Pain) is a very common problem that seems to be “incurable” to most doctors and physical therapists. I am going to challenge this belief and show you what actually goes on with plantar fasciitis, and why it is fix-able. A lot of common therapies: NSAIDS/Cortisone Shots/Surgery/ Stretches usually never fix the true cause of the plantar fasciitis, and most people with plantar fasciitis stay in pain for MONTHS with no real improvement. Why does this happen?
The Nature of a Normal Injury:
When you have a normal injury, anywhere in your body, your body responds with inflammation and a whole cascade of events happen (triggered by the chemicals that produce inflammation):
1. The muscles around the injury tighten up. (To force rest)
2. The area becomes hot and inflamed (red and swollen, this is to rush nutrients into the area.).
3. The Fascia (connective tissue around the muscle fibers) also tightens up.
4. Tenderness at the site of the injury occurs. (Pain when touched)
5. Restricted movement of the joints around the injury due to the tight muscles and fascia we mentioned a second ago.
When this happens, the body is telling the person to rest. Usually, guided by pain, we are forced to rest the area, and in a couple days to weeks, the injury heals and the muscles relax and un-tighten, the swelling goes away, the tenderness subsides, and we regain all of our flexibility back. It may hurt a little bit for awhile, but it’s usually “live-able” pain. We notice it, but it’s not that bad. In a couple months, that pain slowly disappears, and we are all healed up.
What happens with Plantar Fasciitis??
First and foremost, the same events happen that were mentioned above. The tightness/inflammation/swelling/restricted movement all happen when you have pain in your heel. BUT, instead of resting and fixing the problem, people push through the pain and try to ignore it (most people have to go to work/school and have no choice). What this causes is more and more damage. This also causes more and more tightness in the muscles around the heel and tightness in the fascia (connective tissue).
When this person finds that it’s no use, and that the pain is driving them crazy, THEN they finally decide to rest the area. They then wait and wait… sometimes days, sometimes months even (in a cast or walking boot). When they try to walk again, the pain… is still… THERE! How is this possible?!?!
They go to the doctor and try a cortisone shot. They get great results, but it comes back a couple months or weeks later. And with a vengeance. They are in more pain, and they are more desperate.
They try out “supportive shoes” and “orthotics” and they feel a little improvement! It helps take the edge from the pain, but the pain… is still… THERE!
