Midtown East is an area in New York with great podiatrists and foot surgeons. You should visit a Midtown East plantar fasciitis specialist if you suffer from chronic pain in your foot and heel.
Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the thick tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed and torn. It will lead to a stabbing pain which becomes worse over time or may affect you at certain times of the day.
A podiatrist or foot surgeon will substantially help you deal with the condition but there is much you can do on your own including:
- Wearing Supportive Shoes
Your shoes should not only protect your feet but also offer them support. One of the main reasons why people get plantar fasciitis is that they wear shoes that strain their feet.
Instead of choosing shoes for aesthetic reasons, you should choose them for functional reasons. You should especially avoid shoes with high heels, as they are the ones that cause the most damage to the tissues of your feet.
Always wear shoes with a thick and strong sole. You should feel comfortable walking in your shoes on uneven ground if they are supportive.
- Lose Weight
Another element that causes a lot of strain to your feet is being overweight. Excess weight will affect the mechanics of your foot with every step.
The more weight you carry, the more pressure you place on the muscles and tissues on your feet. If you are overweight, the muscles and tissues in your foot will be less able to handle the load.
Reducing the amount of food you eat is the best and quickest way to lose weight, but not the easiest. Regularly being active is another great way for you to lose some weight.
- Stretch Your Foot
Many people stretch their bodies as part of exercise or after their exercise routine. However, very few people specifically focus on stretching their feet.
You always use your feet, regardless of the physical activity you are doing. Therefore, your foot muscles are the most strained muscles in your body.
To prevent plantar fasciitis, you should set aside at least 30 minutes of your day to specifically stretch your foot. You can do your own research or consult a physical therapist for stretches for your foot.
- Engage in Low Impact Exercises
The nature of the physical activity in which you are engaged significantly matters to your feet. High impact exercises like running and jumping specifically affect your feet, especially the soles, more than any other body part.
Therefore, if you want to avoid too much stress on your feet, you should engage in low impact exercise. Such activities include cycling, swimming and yoga, which still benefit your body without the impact.
- Don’t Go Barefoot
Every time you walk barefoot, you increase your chances of acquiring plantar fasciitis. The exposure of the bottom of your feet to many different types of stress will strain the muscles at the bottom of your feet.
By walking barefoot, you also increase the chances of damaging your foot with cuts and blisters. The more fragile the soles of your feet become, the easier it is to contract plantar fasciitis.