Plantar Fasciitis: What It Is and Best Stretches to Ease Pain
[caption id="attachment_66000" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20 [/caption] Plantar fasciitis can happen in a snap. You get out of bed one morning, and the minute you set one heel down on the floor, it starts throbbing. You did a tough workout the day before and had some heel pain but nothing serious. Weird, right? Plantar fasciitis is actually the most common cause of heel pain , and it strikes a whopping two million individuals every year, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). Although it’s an injury that can affect anybody, certain conditions make it more likely. “The heavier you are, the more you jump, the worse your shoes , the harder the surface you’re on, the more you increase your risk,” says Alan Shih, D.P.M., director of podiatry at Head to Toe Healthcare in Tucson, AZ. Other risk factors include having a high arch, tight calf muscles (you can tell if you have trouble flexing your foot toward your shin), ...