Table of contents:
2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14
Plantar aponeurosis is a tricky name for inflammation of the tendon that connects the calcaneus to all five toes. In fact, this is the medical name for the disease, which is often called the "heel spur" by the people, accompanied by severe morning pain in the heel, which subsides in the evening.
Most often, such a diagnosis is made for runners or lovers of long walks, while even a sedentary lifestyle is not able to prevent the risk of inflammation.
Provoking circumstances
Inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis is the result of deliberately ignored or missed sprains of the ligaments that support the arch of the foot.
Often, such a pathological condition becomes the result of the following actions:
- High (by nature) arch of the foot, or the habit of turning it inward while walking;
- Addiction to very long walking promenades;
- Jogging at a professional level;
- Being overweight and wearing uncomfortable (inappropriate) shoes.
There are also risk factors such as a short (or surgically shortened) Achilles tendon from birth, excessive calf muscle tone, and old age.
It is worth noting that the described diagnosis is more often made specifically to women, since they are more likely than men to engage in aerobics, dance sports, exercise with steps, learn ballet, etc.
Also tendinosis, or inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis, is considered an occupational disease of teachers, trade workers, industrial workers and other people whose work is associated with constant or prolonged standing.
How does the disease progress?
The symptoms of pathology are extremely difficult to ignore, and it is diagnosed easily and quickly. The most important symptom is severe heel pain, often extending to the entire foot. Typically, the tendons become inflamed only on one limb, but if the problem is found on both legs, the person will need long-term therapy, if non-surgical intervention.
The onset of the disease is marked by painful sensations that arise in the morning in the heel region, intensifying during running, long walking, prolonged stay in one position or standing on their feet.
In a normal state, the tendon is obliged to keep the arch of the foot in the anatomically correct position, and during movement or running, it must act as a kind of shock absorber. If the aponeurosis experiences a greater load than it can withstand, microscopic ruptures form on it, which the person does not suspect, and cannot diagnose them even with the help of ultrasound. Numerous microtraumas cause the onset of the inflammatory process.
Possible complications
Since the initial symptoms do not greatly disturb the patient, the treatment of plantar aponeurosis, as a rule, begins already when the pathology flows into the acute stage.
If this happens, then even the most modern and expensive medicines will not be able to get rid of chronic and obsessive pain in the foot.
Well, if plantar nerve therapy is completely absent, then you can prepare for various kinds of problems with the back, hips and knee joints.
How is the diagnosis carried out?
It is necessary to diagnose tendinosis in order to establish the cause of its appearance, and this is done using X-ray, CT or MRI. The fact is that signs of Achilles tendon disease are often confused with symptoms of a pinched nerve, cracked heel bone and plantar aponeurosis.
In the process of diagnosing pathology, along the way, the degree of adequacy of the foot reflexes and their presence in general, indicators of strength and tone of muscle tissues are established, coordination and a sense of balance, sensitivity of the foot and other parameters that determine full-fledged movement are checked. All this is necessary in order to prescribe the most effective treatment for a person.
Therapeutic measures
If a person is prescribed the appropriate medications and rules of conduct during treatment, then the inflammation of the Achilles tendon heals in just a few months. The main drugs that help get rid of pathology are anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. The wearing of orthopedic shoes and the corresponding physiotherapy make its contribution.
For the period of therapy, it is recommended to abandon sports, jogging, long walks and try in every possible way to reduce the load on the feet. If all these measures do not give the desired effect, surgery is prescribed, during which the inflamed tendon is removed.
Unconventional techniques
Treatment of inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis cannot be carried out exclusively with folk remedies, since positive changes will not come soon, while the likelihood of starting the disease increases significantly.
The most effective (again, judging by the reviews) recipes for home therapy with folk phyto-remedies are as follows:
- You need to run as much garlic through a press as needed to cover the entire heel. A solid piece of bacon is superimposed on top, everything is insulated with a film, woolen socks are put on the legs, and all this is removed only after 12 hours;
- Take a handful of fresh potato peel and the same number of flax seeds, pour everything over with a glass of water and simmer over low heat until it becomes jelly. The composition is applied to the entire foot, the latter is insulated as in the first paragraph, and you can wash off the impromptu jelly in half an hour.
Remember: aponeurosis is not a disease that can be neglected for a long time. Despite the seeming harmlessness and the ability to endure pain, it is quite capable of causing partial or complete immobilization of the lower extremities.
I wish you health and wellness!