Hi. Today I am going to cover a condition that often afflicts treadmill runners, trail and runners of every terrain – the plantar fasciitis aka a dog’s heel. I would have come across it in due course of study and would have left it at that, but I experienced this first hand. The plantar fascia is located in our heels. The Wikipedia Commons image below exhibits it clearly:
It is the circled-center of the heel. The plantar fascia supports the arch of the foot. It may develop inflammation due increase in wear and tear of this area. Plantar fasciitis is a niggling condition that may not heal fast. It may be brought about by sudden increase in running time, distance or speed. It may also occur due to drastic increase in weight training routines by time and weights. Sometimes a fault in the pronation of the feet may bring trigger this condition. It is thus either an overuse injury or one evolving out of poor technique.
The way to overcome it is rest, ice, elevation, topical applications, and painkillers (NSAIDs). It is not advisable to workout (especially those exercises that involve impact of the feet) in such a condition. It will be very painful and will take longer than usual to heal. You may also run the risk of damaging the plantar fascia further, which may require a surgery to fix.
The other fixes are usage of insoles if feet pronation is an issue. You may even have to get special shoes that address support and stability of the foot in order to rectify the pronation to get to the root of the problem. Physiotherapy and heel lifts are also recommended. Whatever, the case may be, you must consult your physician first and avoid self-medication.