Emma Kirk-Odunubi explains how this painful foot injury affects runners of all levels and she looks at how we can treat it and prevent it from coming back
What is it?
Plantar fasciitis plagues so many runners – it’s a real pain in the feet. As the name suggests, it affects the fascia in the foot; the fibrous unstretchy tissue.
The plantar fascia in the foot begins at the base of the heel (calcaneus) and fans out to attach under each of the metatarsal heads. You can normally feel plantar fasciitis (PF) pain in the inner medial arch of the foot, just in front of the heel bone, although sometimes it can be pain right in the centre of the heel bone.
The usual symptoms are pain and discomfort, caused by inflammation of that fibrous tissue under the foot, usually first thing in the morning, and while walking or standing for prolonged periods.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
When an injury like PF rears its head, there can be many reasons for the flareup. Sometimes it’s the same old culprits – a niggle that builds over time, or a change in pace, distance or route – but occasionally, there are other factors that may be at play.
• Poor footwear What do you wear 90% of the time? If you spend much of the day in heels or a flimsy unstructured flat shoe, that could be the cause of your PF flare-up. Switch to trainers or more supportive footwear for commuting, and at any other times when you’ll be on your feet for a while.
And do check your running trainers while you’re focusing on shoes. If your feet are in shoes that are over supportive, it can change the angle of your foot at rest and when active in the running motion. This can cause the muscles in the foot to overwork and tighten, which in turn will flare the fascia. Get yourself a gait analysis to figure out if this is part of the problem.
• Hyper-mobile/ rigid feet A key function of the foot is to aid in shock absorption. When we walk or run, we look for something called the windlass mechanism to kick in. This is when the big toes raise, which creates a tripod between our heel and forefoot to enable shock to be dispersed. If this doesn’t work properly, the fascia ends up taking the brunt of the force and becoming damaged. When feet, calves and ankles are hyper-mobile, they lack the ability to create that stable tripod to absorb shock. The same can apply if you have very rigid feet and tight calves and it’s a key reason people suffer from PF.
• Bunions These alter the
