Plantar fasciitis involves pain and inflammation of a thick, ligament-like band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. This band pulls on the heel bone, raising the arch of your foot as it pushes off the ground. If your foot moves incorrectly, the plantar fascia could become strained. The fascia may swell and its tiny fibers may begin to fray causing plantar fasciitis.
Causes
Plantar fasciitis is usually caused by improper foot mechanics. If your foot flattens out too much, the fascia may overextend and swell. If your foot flattens too little, the fascia may hurt from being pulled to tight.
Symptoms
Stabbing foot pain that usually occurs with your first steps in the morning. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally lessens, but may return after prolonged movement or after rest. The pain usually happens on the inside of the foot, close to the spot where your heel and arch meet.
Treatment
Doing too much too soon is a common cause of stress fractures. For example, runners who are confined indoors for the winter may want to pick up where they left off at the end of the previous season. Instead of starting slowly, they try to match their previous mileage. Because of the lower level of conditioning, muscles become fatigued faster. The result could be a stress fracture in the foot or ankle. Those who are new to exercise and try to do too much too soon are also at risk.
Surgery
Your podiatrist may want to do a procedure if all other treatments don't control the pain. In surgery, the plantar fascia is partially cut to release tension. As you get better, fibrous tissues fill in the space between the heel bone and the plantar fascia.