If you have Plantar Fasciitis, you aren’t alone. Actually, Plantar Fasciitis is one of the leading injuries among runners and people who are on their feet all day. There are many causes of Plantar Fasciitis including running in the wrong shoes, your genetic foot structure, or overuse of certain parts of your foot. If you have foot pain specifically in the heel while running or walking, you might have Plantar Fasciitis. Read along to learn more about Plantar’s and how to help ease foot pain caused from it.
Keep reading to find out how to run with plantar fasciitis.
WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
First things first, what exactly is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fascia is actually a thick band of tissues that runs from the heel to the toes, connecting these 2 parts of the foot. The main job of the Plantar Fascia is to support the arch and help in shock absorption when running or walking. Plantar Fasciitis occurs when these tissues become inflamed for various reasons. Tension from overstretching, wearing the wrong shoes, etc, can cause little tears in the Plantar Fascia which leads to inflammation and discomfort. While there are varying degrees of Plantar Fascia, most runners find that the pain is the worst after they have had their feet up for a long period of time and they stand up. Discomfort usually tends to ease after movement.
HOW CAN I HELP MY PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
Luckily, with the accessory offerings in the running industry today, a Plantar Fasciits diagnosis does not mean the end of your running journey. Athletic brands have started creating products specifically designed for Plantar Fasciitis pain relief.
FEETURES PLANTAR FASCIITIS SOCKS
Feetures Plantar Fasciitis socks are specifically designed for Plantar Fasciitis pain relief. They provide intense targeted compression in specific areas of the foot in order to ease discomfort and relieve pain. These socks fit more snug than typical running socks since they are designed to tightly compress the arch of your foot where needed. Specifically, the sock is made to lift, stretch, and stabilize the Plantar Fascia and ease the strain on the Achilles Tendon. Aside from pain relief, these socks come with all of the most loved features of Feetures socks, a seamless toe design, varying degrees of cushioning, and moisture wicking materials.
AETREX ORTHOTIC INSOLES
Aetrex orthotic insoles were designed with the notion that, as human beings, our feet were made to walk barefoot on soft, uneven surfaces. Today, we know that this is rarely the case for most of us and we are usually walking on hard surfaces and unable to distribute our weight evenly. Aetrex Orthotics help ease pressure on high pressure areas of the foot and aid in evenly distributing pressuring along the foot. Aetrex has specifically designed orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis sufferers. These orthotics help relieve pressure from the plantar fascia and the heel providing a relief from pain and discomfort.
PRO-TEC SPIKY MASSAGE BALL
The Pro-Tec spiky massage ball is made to provide a deep tissue massage to the bottom of the foot. The spiky outer layer of this ball provides a stimulating effect which increases circulation and helps reduce inflammation. This rubber ball is only 3” in diameter so it is perfect for on the go Plantar Fasciitis relief.
OOFOS
Wearing recovery sandals is a long-term way to reduce Plantar Fasciitis pain. Oofos recovery footwear is designed to cradle the foot and support the foot which reduces strain on the Plantar Fascia. Oofos’ OOfoamTechnology reduces impact and shock by 37% more than foams found in average sandals. The most popular Oofos models are the Oolala sandal and the Ooahh slide. No matter what type of recovery footwear style you prefer, Oofos has the right shoe for your pain relief.
HOW CAN I PREVENT PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
One of the easiest ways to prevent Plantar Fasciitis is to get fitted for running shoes since a leading cause of Plantar Fasciitis is running in the wrong shoes. The Fit2Run Fit Process is a 3 step shoe fitting process that is done in every Fit2Run retail location.
First is the foot scan. All of our Fit2Run store locations have a 3D Aetrex foot scanner. The Albert scanner from Aetrex provides the most advanced foot scanning technology and helps our Fit Experts recommend the best footwear and orthotics for your foot and gait, after a complete personalized fitting. Albert is equipped with the most advanced foot scanning technology including numerous cameras that provide a full image of your feet from all angles. It also shows important factors that can affect your running like pain points, pressure variations, arch height, and more. Once the scan is complete and analyzed our Fit Experts will be able to recommend a great orthotic insert and footwear combination to follow on to analyze your individual gait.
Up next is the use of the Brannock device. The Brannock device or the metal thing that has a lever an associate slides up and down to find the size of your foot is the standard measuring tool in the footwear industry. This tool not only measures the size of your foot but also the width and arch height of the foot. This can determine what size running shoe you need and if you need an extended width option. The use of this device helps our Fit Experts determine exactly which size shoe you need to get that perfect fit.
The final step of our Fit Process is the Gait Analysis. At Fit2Run, we use a videotaped gait analysis to determine the most appropriate shoe for specific foot types and styles of running or walking. Although many factors such as color, shape, weight, cushioning and price can influence your selection of a running or walking shoe, we believe that finding the right shoe starts with the foot! Keep in mind that the running shoe serves as a structural and functional extension of the foot. Chosen correctly, it can improve your running. Chosen improperly, it can amplify biomechanical and functional flaws thereby increasing your risk of injury.
When fitting shoes, we use a detailed step-by-step process that will provide you with helpful information in choosing the correct shoe. We first discuss your particular needs by asking you questions about your walking or running, training goals, predominant running surface, mileage and history of injury. We will determine your foot type by assessing the structure of the foot including shape, width, volume and arch height. We then analyze the gait cycle that is unique to each runner by observing the biomechanics of the foot in motion. Our Fit Experts will select a variety of styles and brands of shoes for you to try by matching your foot characteristics and biomechanical needs to the proper category of shoes.
You don’t have to keep running in pain! Fit2Run has all of the essentials for Plantar Fasciitis relief. Shop online at fit2run.com or stop by your nearest Fit2Run retail location!
