Making Decisions About Home Care

How To Help Your Plantar Fasciitis Caused By Cycling

by Mae Ferguson

Cycling is a fun, competitive sport, and it helps keep you in great physical shape. However, it can be hard on your feet, especially if you don't take great care in picking out the socks and shoes you wear. Plantar fasciitis is a condition you can develop due to the repetitive motion of cycling. It makes cycling painful, but even worse, the pain stays with you during the day and night, making it difficult to go about your usual activities. Here are a few ways you can treat this type of foot pain.

Rest Your Foot

If you're an athlete, you may not be able to rest as long as it takes for your injured fascia to heal. However, you should try to work in as many rest periods as possible. You can even switch the way you train by using methods that don't stress your feet, such as swimming and upper body exercises. Put your feet up as much as possible during the day, so your foot has the chance to heal. Plantar fasciitis causes pain and inflammation from tears to the fascia that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot. Walking, running, and cycling can make the injury worse and interfere with healing. Resting your injured foot is the first step towards recovery.

Stretch Your Foot

Plantar fasciitis causes the arch of your foot to be tight. This is what causes intense heel pain when you walk. You'll probably notice this pain when you first get out of bed in the morning as your fascia tightens while you sleep. You may have difficulty even walking when you first get up. One solution for this is to see your foot doctor and get a brace for your foot that you wear when you sleep at night. This keeps your fascia in a stretched out position, so pain is reduced in your heel. Stretching exercises help also. Your podiatrist can show you the proper exercises for your condition, or you may be referred to a physical therapist for treatment. The exercises include motions that stretch the arch of your foot through heel and toe maneuvers.

Wear Proper Shoes And Orthotics

Whether you cycle competitively or just for fun, you need to wear the proper shoes that support your feet. If you have a foot abnormality such as low arches or a gait problem where your feet roll inward or outward, you should get professional help in choosing your shoes and inserts. Shoe inserts, or orthotics, help correct for any foot problems you have so pressure and weight are distributed evenly across your feet. This reduces your risk of injury and it also helps your fascia heal quicker.

Treat The Pain

Ice is a good home treatment for plantar fasciitis because it reduces pain and swelling. It can be used during your resting periods several times each day. Ice treatments can be alternated with warm foot soaks, since heat stimulates blood flow, and that may speed healing of the tiny tears in your fascia. The last thing you want to do is tough out the pain. If you don't care for your injured foot, the tears may get worse, or you may develop bone spurs that complicate the problem. If your condition is allowed to become severe, you may need to undergo surgery to get pain relief. Pain is a sign you're doing something wrong. Correct the problem, give your feet time to heal, and before long you'll be cycling pain free. For more information, visit a website like http://familyfootanklephysicians.com/.

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