Planter Fasciitis

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Planter Fasciitis
Introduction
Plantar fasciitis is the most ordinary source of heel pain. The plantar fascia (plantar aponeurosis) runs the length of the sole and is a broad flat band of dense connective tissue (ligament) that connects proximally to the medial surface of the calcaneus (heel bone) (Prentice 586). Additionally, the planter fascia fans out distally with fibers and their various small branches attaching to the metatarsophalangeal articulations, which are the joints between the metatarsal bones of the foot and the proximal bones (proximal phalanges) of the toes, and merging into the capsular ligaments (Prentice 586).
The function of the planter fascia is to assist in maintaining the stability of the foot and in securing or bracing the longitudinal arch (Prentice 586). During walking, running, and/or jumping the plantar fascia functions mainly during the heel rise to toe off. This helps to stabilize the arch of the foot by flexing the first metatarsal; it also enables the first metatarsal to carry most of the body’s weight during “toe off”. By acting like a shock absorber, it lessens the load on the foot when it hits the ground.
If the plantar fascia is strained, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated (inflamed). Then the heel or the bottom of the foot can become painful when it is stood or walked on. Although it accounts for about 8% of all running injuries (Taunton 95-01), it is also fairly commonplace in the general population as a whole (Cole 2237-42). Contrasting many types of running injuries, planter fasciitis is slightly biased more towards men; in one study it was found that, of the 158 runners diagnosed with having plantar fasciitis, 54% were men (Taunton 95-01). Even though it is a common injury in both...

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