Plantar fasciitis is a painful, chronic inflammatory condition in the foot heel. Symptoms commonly include inflammation and pain in front of or below the heel bone, between the toes, walking on pebbles or sand while barefoot, and feeling like people are stepping on your heels.
The plantar fasciitis treatment in Singapore can vary depending on what’s causing it. Finding any underlying causes is best since some treatment options might not work well for you if there are no issues.
When considering treatment options for plantar fasciitis, it’s crucial to use effective medications as lifestyle changes might not be enough to make significant progress in many cases of this condition.
Here are treatment options for plantar fasciitis.
1. Injection therapy
A corticosteroid injection is a type of therapy that’s commonly used to improve inflammation in the heel. Injections might be done at home or in a medical facility like a doctor’s office. The medications reduce swelling and pain by numbing the area and helping the body repair itself more easily.
Results might last 2-6 months after getting an injection done, depending on your symptoms and if you can manage them well during this time frame. You shouldn’t receive injections more than once every few months or when needed due to side effects that could include nerve damage or skin infections.
2. Surgery
Some people choose to have heel bone surgery to relieve pain and inflammation. That will usually be recommended if you have more than 15% of your heel bone volume that’s painful and might not heal after using the other options.
The surgery can help by removing part of the bone and replacing it with a prosthetic material like a fibrous tissue graft or decellularized tendon. The benefit is that this procedure can give you immediate relief during the surgery.
3. Heel cup
A heel cup is a common treatment option for plantar fasciitis. You can make one by cutting off the bottom of a plastic water bottle and molding it to the bottom of your foot. Be sure to wear the cup all day but take it off when you are sleeping at night as it might become uncomfortable and cause damage to other parts of your foot if you wear it too long or too much.
4. Night splint
It’s best to use a night splint for plantar fasciitis during the night and to wear it for an hour each night before you go to sleep. The splint will help stretch your plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, and calf muscles to be more flexible and help you recover from plantar fasciitis.
It is essential to keep your foot at a 30-degree angle with the rest of your body to avoid stress on the heel. If you cannot stand wearing a brace all day, try using it at night to wake up with pain and inflammation already gone by morning.
5. Foam rollers
Plantar fasciitis can be hard to deal with, so many people choose to get foam rollers. These are relatively inexpensive, portable, and easy-to-use items that will allow you to improve your range of motion and work out any knots in your plantar fascia or other muscle areas around your heel.
If you have been dealing with plantar fasciitis, you probably know how frustrating and distressing the condition can be. It makes walking, standing, and even sitting downright uncomfortable and painful. Fortunately for sufferers of this ailment, some treatments can help relieve the pain you may experience.