My dad use to say that you have to be a warrior to make it to old age. Just writing about all the changes that take place with your feet and how you must accommodate and protect your feet make his words ring loud and clear.

One of the most common, and painful, causes of painful arches is plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a band of fibrous connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and helps secure the arch.  Athletes who run and jump and do marathons often develop this condition.

As you get older you can also get it from being too overweight, by wearing shoes that are too narrow, or even by standing on a ladder or step stool for a long time. The inflammation may be aggravated by shoes that lack the right support, especially for the arches. The point is when you keep stretching that fibrous tissue it starts tearing at different points all the way to the heel bone.

If you don’t pay attention to what’s happening, it gets worse. Then you develop bone spurs, which are calcium deposits that are visible on x-rays. They can measure up to half an inch long and they form on the heel when the small muscles associated with fascia begin tugging hard on the heel bone.

The good news is that these spurs don’t have nerve endings, so they’re not painful by themselves. However, if they stress the plantar fascia, they can worsen the pain. What makes this really bad is the plantar fasciitis places more stress on your Achilles tendon. In other words now you are more at risk for developing Achilles tendinitis.

I do want to recommend that you consider reading this book that will help you treat your condition without surgery. I do receive a commission if you should purchase the book, but I bought it and as you know I only recommend items that are worth while. To find out more about this book and receive a special report on how to find the right shoe, click on Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Guide.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

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Filed under: Conditions and Diseases

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