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SOURCES and SYMPTOMS:
Plantar fasciitis is one of the more common running related injuries. It is an acute inflammation of the band of tissue that supports the arch. Plantar is medical nomenclature for the bottom of the foot, and the plantar fascia is a rope-like band of tissue with almost no elastic properties that stretches along the bottom of the foot. If the arch is over-stressed the fascia will not stretch, instead it will pull away from the attachment site at the calcaneus (heel bone) where the arch meets the heel. The classic symptoms of this injury are more pain with the first steps in the morning and when you first stand after sitting for an extended period of time, or at the beginning of a run. During the initial stages the pain subsides after warming up but in the chronic cases the pain can progress beyond the initial steps of a run to a constant ache or sharp pain.
One common misconception is that a bone spur in the heel causes the pain. A spur may be noted on an x-ray, but plantar fasciitis is strictly a soft tissue inflammation.
One of the more common causes of plantar fasciitis is tight calf muscles. If there is not enough motion in the ankle joint due to a lack of flexibility then there will be extra strain on the fascia which may lead to this injury. Foot type and how the foot functions can also play a significant role in this injury. The two extreme foot types-flat feet and high arched feet-are most commonly implicated in fasciitis. Improper training shoe selection along with extended wear in racing flats or spikes can also lead to the initial onset of symptoms.
I get this from time to time, and the one thing I notice (besides the pain) that I don’t have usually, is that during a flare-up, my toes are stiffer than usual. I can usually tell if I’m going to have a flare-up before the pain starts by a "tightening" feeling in the bottom of my foot.
I would say swelling, but it is what causes the pain. Fluid is trapped between the layers of connective tissue and muscle and does not leave the foot easily and that is what causes the pain.