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More Plantar Facts: The plantar fascia supports the arch of the foot in carrying the weight of the body. Approximately 90% of women and 40% of men with plantar fasciitis are overweight. It frequently affects athletes, people who are on their feet all day and those over 40 years of age. Among professional athletes, plantar fasciitis is one of the 5 most common foot and ankle injuries. If left untreated the condition could become chronic and can lead to a host of other issues. Most sufferers are able to overcome the pain with non-invasive therapy. Night splints prevent contraction and stretch your plantar fascia while you sleep to help with pain. Treatment includes avoiding the activity, icing the inflammation, gently stretching and warming the area. Ultrasound can speed plantar fasciitis recovery significantly. |
Causes of Plantar FasciitisOveruse and Overloading![]() The main cause of plantar fasciitis is overuse and overloading the plantar fascia in occupations where you are on your feet all day (teachers, store clerks, soldiers, waitresses, hostesses), activities that require you to push heavy items (shippers and receivers, construction workers) and/or sporting activities in which you overexert yourself (doing too much, too fast and/or too soon), especially running, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, step-aerobics, stair climbing and dancing. Running on your toes or the balls of your feet, on very hard or soft surfaces, and up hills can increase your risk and suffering. Among professional athletes, plantar fasciitis is one of the 5 most common foot and ankle injuries. However, weekend warriors or people who have a rapid change in their activity levels are prone to this condition. Your plantar fascia is only able to stretch to 102% of its length without tearing; therefore it may not be strong enough to withstand the stress placed on it by your lifestyle. Approximately 90% of women and 40% of men with plantar fasciitis are overweight. Obesity or sudden weight increases can overstretch and increase the tension placed on your plantar fascia. The additional weight gained during pregnancy along with the hormonal changes can cause your ligaments and tissues to relax, which heightens your risk for this disorder. Shortened FasciaAnother common causes of Plantar Fasciitis is the shortening of the plantar fascia. If your foot is held for long periods of time in a position where your toes are pointed, the plantar fascia may become shortened. Within the body muscles, tendons, or ligaments that are in a shortened position for any length of time will become tighter and shorter. Image the neck of a T-shirt that becomes permanently deformed if it is stretched too much. Improper Biomechanics![]() Faulty foot structures (abnormal growths, different leg lengths, arch variations, and unhealed injuries), muscle imbalances (tight, weak or shortened muscles in your foot, ankle, calf and hamstring) and poor biomechanics (abnormal twisting of your foot) affect the way your foot hits the ground (your gait). Overpronation (feet rolling inward) is found in 85% of people who suffer from plantar fasciitis. These individuals tend to have a low arch and flat foot (pes planus). Those who underpronate (feet rolling outward) tend to have rigid feet and a high arch (pes cavus) which results in a shortened plantar fascia. These issues place increased pressure on your plantar fascia when your foot hits the ground. ![]() AgingAs you age your tissues break down and weaken; your plantar fascia changes from an elastic-like fiber to a more rigid, rope-like fiber, the fat pad in your heel thins out and doesn't provide as much cushioning, which cause it to swell, bruise and/or tear. Improper FootwearWorn out, old, poorly constructed shoes that don't fit properly or don't support your heel or arch affect the distribution of your body weight on your foot and add undue stress to your plantar fascia. High heeled shoes commonly worn by women are famous for leading to the eventual shortening of the plantar fascia. They don't just shorten the plantar fascia, they shorten the calf muscles as well. Whenever you stand on your toes these muscles contract and shorten. Tight calf muscles can increase the problems associated with Plantar Fasciitis. Other factors that may cause plantar fasciitis are:
Plantar Fasciitis TreatmentsConservative treatments tend to be the best way to treat plantar fasciitis. However, it can take months to years to heal depending on your situation and commitment to treatment (6 weeks to 6 months or longer). To improve healing time and treat your pain naturally, cold compression therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, and Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ are recommended. Cold Compression TherapyWhen you are experiencing pain, swelling, and inflammation in the bottom of your foot, doctors recommend cold compression therapy. Cold compression therapy reduces tissue damage caused by swelling and inflammation and treats your foot pain quickly. Cold compression therapy works by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the damaged area. This is important because once blood vessels are damaged, they can no longer carry oxygenated blood to the plantar fascia and tissue cells begin to break-down. The Plantar/Spur Freezie Wrap® allows you to treat yourself in an effective and convenient way and the deep cold provided by the Plantar/Spur Freezie Wrap® slows cell function thereby reducing cellular break-down. Furthermore, because the cold wraps serve to numb the nerves, the wraps also reduce pain! The cooling gel pack inside every Freezie Wrap® have been designed with ColdCure Technology®. The specially formulated gel allows the pack to be supercharged in the fridge, not in the freezer like ice or other freezer packs. The Freezie Wrap® gives you deep cold compression therapy without the risk of 'cold burns' or cryoburn to the layers of your skin. This unique technology, inside a soft and completely adjustable neoprene wrap, gives you comfortable, convenient, and effective cold compression therapy. In addition, the specially designed foot wrap has an adjustable compression band so you can control the amount of pressure that feels good around your foot. Click here to learn more about ColdCure Technology®Ultrasound TherapyScar tissue is a major contributor to chronic plantar fasciitis. When your plantar fascia begins to heal (initially and after every retearing of the fascia as your step down in the morning) scar tissue naturally builds up in the fascia fibers. At this stage, using therapeutic ultrasound will soften scar tissue as your body heals as well as breaking down any scar tissue that may have already formed. Scar tissue develops once acute inflammation begins to decrease. As your damaged plantar fascia heals this dead, fibrotic tissue will develop instead of forming brand new healthy tissue. This tissue makes the fascia inflexible and adheres to surrounding tissue causing pain and preventing your foot from moving properly (this limits your range of motion and strength). With less scar tissue, the normal elasticity in the plantar fascia will return making it healthier, more flexible, and less prone to re-injury. In addition, less scar tissue build up means less foot pain. Ultrasound can also administer therapeutic medicines deep into the body through a process called phonophoresis. For those who suffer from other conditions such as heel spurs or tendinitis, ultrasound can help. With dedication to your ultrasound therapy you can soften the tough and inelastic scar tissue and reduce inflammation. If you are also experiencing pain in other parts of your body, your plantar pain may be the cause. Plantar fasciitis can lead to other overuse injuries if left untreated. The pain can cause you to re-adjust your posture and change your gait to take weight off your sore foot. This can cause excess strain in your back, knees, hips, and ankles. The MendMeShop™ Ultrasound System can be used to treat all of your strains and tears, as well as other painful conditions like bursitis, tendinitis, and joint pain. It is a great tool to have on hand for so many soft tissue injuries! Click here to learn more about Ultrasound TherapyEnhance Your Ultrasound Treatments With PhonophoresisWhen using an ultrasound unit, proper conductive ultrasound gel is required. Without it, the sound waves will not transfer into the tissue making the treatment ineffective. Although you will receive all the benefits of ultrasound therapy with standard ultrasound gel, medicated ultrasound gel can multiply the benefits without any extra time or effort. All you have to do is use medicated gel instead of standard ultrasound gel during your treatments. Here's how it works! The sound waves carry the medicinal molecules found inside the gel deep into your tissue. This process is known as phonophoresis and it increases the healing power of therapeutic ultrasound. Our exclusive MendMeShop® Lavender Infusion Gel is specially formulated with Natural Bulgarian Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Menthol. These ingredients have been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and relax tissue to speed healing. Now they are available in this incredible ultrasound gel to give you 2 therapies in 1 treatment. You get the benefit of the regenerating sound waves from the ultrasound device itself AND the added bonus of the therapeutic ingredients inside the gel being delivered straight to your plantar fascia where it is most effective to reduce your foot pain and speed healing. And that's not all - our Lavender Infusion Ultrasound Gel is free of the potentially harmful ingredients of paraben, DEA, or dyes. 1 FREE bottle of MendMeShop® Lavender Infusion Ultrasound Gel comes with every MendMeShop™ Ultrasound System. If you have skin sensitivities or are sensitive to scents, you have the option of using our Non-Fragrant Ultrasound Gel with your MendMeShop™ Ultrasound System. Just like our Lavender Infusion Gel, it does not contain paraben, DEA, or dyes! Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™Once inflammation and swelling have been reduced in your plantar fascia, nourishing and strengthening the tissue in your foot is the goal. Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ (BFST®) promotes blood flow to the treatment area bringing the necessary oxygen and nutrients to your plantar fascia and other weakened tissue. BFST® speeds up the body's natural repair process for faster healing and stronger tissue. Extremities of the body, like the foot, do not receive much blood flow naturally and when you stop moving your foot because it hurts, you are not creating the natural blood flow it usually receives. With the use of Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ you can increase your body’s blood supply to the plantar fascia. In addition, the fresh blood flow whisks away dead cells and toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) that have built up from the injury leaving the area clean and better prepared for healing. Our Plantar/Spur Inferno Wrap® provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects. Keeping your planter fascia and foot as healthy and strong as possible throughout the healing process will allow you to get back to your regular activities faster. The Plantar/Spur Inferno Wrap®, available exclusively from MendMeShop®, provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief and healing with no side effects. The benefits of BFST® do not end once your foot pain stops! Even when your plantar fascia has healed, your activities can put it at risk of an overuse injury, tightness, or another tear. An Inferno Wrap® treatment before activity is an easy way to warm up the tissues and prepare them for use. Then, end your day with another treatment to prevent tightness from setting in overnight. This incredible healing tool will be the ticket to healthy feet for years to come! Click here to learn more about BFST®During your recovery, you will probably have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort in your foot until your pain and inflammation settle. With these 3 easy therapies you will notice great improvement within a few weeks, with most patients seeing some improvement quickly. The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results. If you start using your plantar fascia before it has a chance to heal properly (even though it may feel better), you can end up doing a lot more damage than good! Night Splints![]() Wearing a night splint to treat your plantar fasciitis allows you to begin your day in significantly less pain and heals your inflamed fascia ligament faster. ![]() Night splints are designed to maintain a gentle stretch of the plantar fascia while you sleep. Your ankle is stabilized at an angle that prevents the fascia ligament from becoming taut as you relax your foot throughout the night. As a result, you will no longer go through the painful process of restretching the fascia ligament in the morning. Preventing the fascia from becoming taut as you sleep alleviates the painful mornings all too familiar to plantar fasciitis sufferers and accelerates the healing process. Our lightweight, padded, low-profile Dorsal Night Splint and Night Splint with Tread will give you the stretch you need while you sleep comfortably and heal your pain. | Plantar Fasciitis Facts: Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation of the ligament that runs along the arch of the foot. This condition affects over 2 million Americans. Sufferers experience an intense stabbing pain in the heel. Heel spurs can be caused by plantar fasciitis. 50% of people with plantar fasciitis have heel spurs. The pain is most severe in the morning after the tissue has contracted during sleep. Dear MendMeShop, Dear Paul, I wanted to e-mail you and let you know how things are going. In your last e-mail to me you made a very profound statement that I had never heard before. I have been to several doctors over the past 10 years and not any one of them ever told me that snapping hip syndrome was a manifestation of short leg syndrome. I truly think that many of my problems are layers that have had to have been slowly peeled away to find out what the problem is that is causing each and every one of them. I thought about the statement that you made and I applied it. Several years back I had a chiropractor tell me that I had short leg syndrome and that I had fallen arches in my right foot and leg. He ordered me an orthotic and a lift to make up the difference. My foot hurt all the time and my right hip hurt all the time and so I stoppd wearing them. A few years later I discovered that I had a bad right ovary. Once I had a doctor that agreed that it was bad and removed it and all that pain went away I was left with my right foot hurting. I found arch supports that made that better but then I had the bursitus and snapping hip syndrome symptoms. No Doctor knew what to do for me and basically tried to give me pain medication to cover it up. I don't want to cover anything up. I want to find the root of the problem and treat it. So, I got to thinking about your statement. (I know it seems like I am going around this same tree, but I will get there) My thought was that because of the pain I was suffering from my ovary, maybe with that all gone I should try the lifts again and see what happens. I am tellinig you...that one little statement you made took care of my bursitus and my snapping hip syndrome. I am no longer suffering from any of that. I have not had to use the ultra sound device at all. I am sleeping well at night. Thank you for your statement. You just don't know how much that has meant to me. You don't know me, you have never met me but you literally saved the quality of my life. It took me a few days after I read your e-mail to put two and two together so to speak but it was worth trying again. Thank you so much. Rating: Vickie Wilkins Results may vary. Remember to include your physician in choosing the best treatment option for you. To discuss your particular situation and how our products can help, call us toll-free at 1-866-237-9608. Dear MendMeShop, I'm treating a recent ankle sprain. The injury occurred while playing volleyball. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) alone or in the past did not seem to really help. I've tried other herbal remedies that didn't appear to help or still took a long time to recover. I did an internet search for a quicker recovery process. I can tell immediately after each use that there is definitely less pain to the touch. And I always felt heat therapy worked better for me. Now I know why, because it promotes circulation and healing. That's why I also purchased the Inferno Ankle Wrap. At first I did not feel it was providing enough heat. However, my foot was always sweating after each use! With other solutions the temperature was never constant and sometimes I would burn my foot. I knew from my past ankle sprain on my other leg that it took forever to heal. Even 2 years later, I still felt it move. This time I wanted to make sure it did not happen again. I'm doing surprisingly well with my ankle so far. I played volleyball the following week and back to usual routine the week after, snowboarding one day and volleyball the next. Even though I'm not 100% yet after 3 weeks, I feel the Inferno Ankle Wrap has greatly attributed to my quick recovery! I would definitely recommend it and the customer service has been truly exceptional! Thank you! Rating: Ching Vue Results may vary. Remember to include your physician in choosing the best treatment option for you. To discuss your particular situation and how our products can help, call us toll-free at 1-866-237-9608. Dear MendMeShop, I have been using the inferno wrap for about 3 weeks now and the results are outstanding. I could feel relief after the first use of the inferno wrap. About 2 years ago the doctor told me I had plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. The heel of my feet hurt so badly, I could hardly walk. Getting out of bed in the mornings was pain beyond belief. I would hold on to the bed railings to take a step. After going to the doctors and getting cortizone injections, ordering custom made insoles, exercises, taping my arch, and therapy, my feet were still hurting. I stopped the doctor visits for lack of relief. I was paying out so much money with no results. Not knowing what else to do, I prayed and asked God to show me what I could do to get releif. I came across the mend me website and read the entire article on foot problems and the products. What it said made so much sense to me. I felt it would be the right thing for me. I love the way it talks about the body and explain how it should work. What really drew me the most and encouraged me to order was: the site said your body was designed to heal itself. I am a firm believer in organic healing and avoiding medication and surgery whenever possible. When I read about the blood flow I was sold on the product. I know that blood is the life of the body. When I wear the inferno wrap I don't want to take it off. It gives relief and warmth right where it hurts. I will be ordering other products for the feet as well. Thanks for the information you give on each part of the body. I have referred your website to several people for different ailments. Rating: Yolanda Oliver Results may vary. Remember to include your physician in choosing the best treatment option for you. To discuss your particular situation and how our products can help, call us toll-free at 1-866-237-9608. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
























