As the fascia is a connective tissue that forms the framework of the body and gives muscle flexibility and strength, it is very easy to experience pain in other parts of your body if you’re a plantar fasciitis sufferer.
Plantar Fasciitis affects the plantar fascia, a fibrous sheath that runs across the sole of the foot and specific structures in the body such as the bone and muscles derive strength from a connective structural framework.
If you are suffering from plantar fasciitis, it is helpful to know that the fascia is connected to the following muscles:
• Calf muscles
• Back muscles
• Back of neck muscles
• Hamstring muscles
Sometimes when you experience pain in your leg, you can also simultaneously feel pain in other parts of the body. This is because of many connected muscles working together.
If you are a long term sufferer of plantar fasciitis, chances are high that every muscle in your connective chain will be in a state of dysfunction.
Knee pain
There are muscles in the leg (hamstrings) that are responsible for stabilizing the knee. The knee has muscles that are connected to the thigh bone and on and on. When the hamstrings become tight and dysfunctional, the knee is prone to injury. Therefore, it is important to detect and treat plantar fasciitis as severe pain can easily affect the knees.
When the fascia is affected, the knee takes its fair share of impact. The following tips will enable you to keep knee pain at bay when suffering from plantar fasciitis.
Exercise, exercise, exercise
If you are a plantar fasciitis sufferer, know your limits. Stay active and indulge in nonimpact aerobic exercise. It is also advisable to avoid activities that will put any kind of extra strain on the foot in general. The best form of exercise to limit shock to the knee and other joints is swimming or cycling.
Stretch
The hamstring and quadriceps muscles take pressure off the knees. There is always aerobic value in stretching. This conditions the knee to be flexible.
Lose any excessive weight
Weight plays a major role in plantar fasciitis which in turn pressure on the knees. Thus, the more you weigh, the more you will experience unnecessary pain on the foot and knee.
Neck and back pain
Just like the hamstring, the neck and back also have muscles that are easily prone to the degenerative processes.
Despite the fact that most people recover from plantar fasciitis with little rest or arch support, severe cases may be hard to treat because of the easy spread of pain throughout the body. Once the tight band of connective tissue has gone rogue, it is challenging to treat the condition.
Even though Plantar Fasciitis usually affects the underside of the heels. You may think that the pain in your body will only be restricted to this part but over time, the pain will spread to other areas of the body.
The prevention of plantar fasciitis means that you will not have to subject the body to unnecessary pain. Prevention can be done in the following ways:
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Frequently stretching your feet and calf muscles
• Indulging in low-impact activities such as swimming
• Purchasing shoes with good soles or using orthotics when necessary. Wearing, soft, supportive shoes may also come in handy.
• Build up a new sport slowly and give the body sufficient time to adjust
• Do not walk barefoot
• Avoiding exercising on hard surfaces
It is safe to say that without the fascia’s support, other parts of the body would not be in place or even function as they do. The fascia boasts of continuity and a good ability to transmit tension.
Due to the fact that the fascia is a link between certain parts of the body’s framework, pain from plantar fasciitis can easily spread to other areas of the body. Just like a snag on a sweater can run across the fabric, tension in the body is transmitted in the same way right from the plantar fascia.
Described as Myofascial Meridians by Thomas Myers, this kind of connectivity envelope different muscles including those that are found in the neck and the back. As we become active, the shapes and movements that we make most of the time tend to affect other parts of the body.
Many people may fail to relate the pain that they are feeling in their body, simply because, pain is the body’s way of telling you that there is a problem. Therefore, it is important not to silence that screaming racket that your plantar fascia is making and ignore other underlying problems.
Remember, the body is a single unit and one dysfunctional area will certainly affect the other negatively. As such, it is important to find treatment for all conditions. Understanding the cause of Plantar Fasciitis is the first step of doing this.
Things to remember
• A heel spur is not pain caused by plantar fasciitis, it may the body’s way of letting you know that the leg is affected by another problem.
• Saver’s disease can result from untreated plantar fasciitis as it is caused but stress on the growth plate in the heel bone
• Plantar fasciitis is commonly caused by overstretching of the heel and results in pain
• The heel has a padded cushion of fatty tissue that maintains its shape despite body weight pressure and movement
The Takeaway…
If not handled in time, plantar fasciitis can cause a nagging problem that may not go away easily. If not discovered in time, the body will be subjected to unnecessary pain. Ensure that you look out for all plantar fasciitis tale-tell signs and get treated before the problem escalates.
