Plantar Fasciitis

Pain in the heel can be set off by breakdown of spongy tissue and build-up of bone cells

You get off the bed one fine day and with the first step, a stabbing pain shoots through your heel. This could be due to a condition called plantar fascitis.

The heel bone, or the calcaneum, takes all the weight of the body and is protected by a spongy tissue from jerks and pressures. There is a bowstring-like fascia, which stretches from the end of calf muscles into the base of the soles. Whenever there is an undue stretching of this fascia, it disturbs the spongy tissue and our body, as a protective measure, "heals" the tissue with bone cells. This causes the area to lose its natural function, as the cushioning effect is lost.

The pain could be evident right after waking up or during movement made after sitting for some time.. Pain is usually worse while walking on hard surfaces and while carrying weights.

Plantar fascitis occurs in athletes who ignore warm-ups. Obese people are prone to this since the weight is borne by the knees and the heels. Those in sedentary occupations, who are not used to any stretching, may also experience this problem.

Patients should wear soft heel pads and the heel of the footwear should not be more than 2 cm, in height.

If the patient feels the pain worsen in a particular spot of the heel, a hollow area should be made in the pad so that the tender area is not affected by pressure. Compression and application of cold or warm pads is encouraged. Homoeopathic remedies have the potential to help improve the strengthening limitation of the ligaments and the fascia. Obese people who manage to lose weight find the pace of improvement better. Rhododendron is recommended when the pain worsens during the monsoon. Pulsatilla and Bryonia and Rhus tox are other remedies.

Other remedies like Calcarea carb, Calcarea flour, Valeriana and Xanthoxyllum can also be used for relief.