High Arch Pain Exercises

Overview
One of those often-painful soft tissue that attaches to heel spurs at the bottom of the foot is called "plantar fascia". Fascia, located throughout the body, is a fibrous connective tissue similar to a ligament. You can see fascia when you handle meat. It is the white, connective tissue separating layers of meat or attaching to bones. The "plantar" fascia in our bodies is that fascia which is seen on the bottom (or plantar portion) of the foot, extending from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. Compared to other fascia around the body, plantar fascia is very thick and very strong. It has to be strong because of the tremendous amount of force it must endure when you walk, run or jump. But while the plantar fascia is a strong structure, it can still get injured, most commonly when it is stretched beyond its normal length over long periods of time. When plantar fascia is injured, the condition is called "plantar fasciitis", which is usualy pronounced either "plan-tar fash-I-tis" or "plan-tar-fash-ee-I-tis." (Adding "-itis" to the end of a word means that structure is inflamed.) It is sometimes known more simply as 'fasciitis'. Plantar fasciitis is the most common type of arch pain.


Causes
Spending a lot of time on your feet. Especially when you are not used to doing so. For example you may have started a new job such as waiting tables where you are on your feet all day and wake up the next day with sore feet. This is a sign of damage and over time could lead to plantar fasciitis. Being Over-Weight. Never an easy topic to discuss but in simple terms, the heavier you are, the greater the burden on your feet. There are times when you're walking when your entire body weight is borne on one leg and therefore one foot, placing great strain on the plantar fascia. Wearing shoes with poor arch support or cushioning. A tight Achilles tendon. This is the big tendon at the bottom of your calf muscles above your heel. If this is excessively tight this can affect your ability to flex your ankle and make you more likely to damage your plantar fascia. Suddenly changing your exercise routine. Using running as an example if you suddenly run many more miles than your are used to or change to a new running surface e.g. grass to tarmac - these factors can put excessive strain on the plantar fascia and lead to plantar fasciitis. All of these risk factors ultimately lead to a specific change in foot structure. The term given is over-pronation and this basically describes rolling in of the foot and lowering of the arches. It is this change that excessively elongates the plantar fascia which can lead to plantar fasciitis.

Symptoms
Pain and tenderness associated with plantar fascia strains are usually felt on the bottom of the foot and may manifest either as a specific or general area of tenderness. Plantar fascia pain may be increased or decreased by stretching of the arch. Generally, in mild cases of plantar fasciitis, the pain will decrease as the soft tissues of the foot "warm up"; however, pain may increase as use of the foot increases. In more severe cases of plantar fasciitis, pain may increase when the arch is stressed. A more specific pain (point tenderness) is an indicator that something is wrong in that specific area. Pain with movement of the affected area is also an indicator of the particular body part affected.

Diagnosis
The medical practitioner will examine how the muscles of your foot function. These tests may involve holding or moving your foot and ankle against resistance; you may also asked to stand, walk, or even run. Pain caused by movements may indicate the cause of the pain. The nerves in the foot will be tested to make sure no injury has occurred there. An x-ray, MRI, or bone scan of the foot and arch may be taken to determine if there are changes in the makeup of the bone.

Non Surgical Treatment
If you have arch pain, you need proper arch support. You can get arch support by purchasing custom shoe inserts that are made to support your feet. If you have flat feet or high arches, you can certainly benefit from arch support inserts. Take a look at your wet footprint; if you notice that your footprint is completely filled in, then you have flat feet. On the other hand, if there is a large crescent shape missing from your footprint, then you have high arches. Both of these conditions require proper support from a shoe insert. Foot Solutions You can also take care of your feet by avoiding high heels and flip-flops. If you must wear high heels, choose a heel that is two inches or less, and try to wear them only for short periods of time. Flip-flops provide very little support, so wear them only if you won?t be doing very much walking.


Surgical Treatment
Cavus foot is caused in part by an over-pull of one of the lateral ankle muscles. A release of this tendon can be performed on the outside of the ankle. Additionally, a transfer of this tendon can be performed to help in correcting deformity of the ankle joint. Often patients will have a tightness of their gastrocnemius muscle, one of the main muscles in the calf. This can increase the deformity or prevent a correction from working. It is addressed with a lengthening of a part of the calf muscle or Achilles tendon. This is often performed through one or more small cuts in the back of the leg or ankle. Finally, the plantar fascia may be tight. The plantar fascia is a cord-like structure that runs from the heel to the front part of the foot. Partial or complete plantar fascia release may be done.


Prevention
To prevent arch pain, it is important to build up slowly to your exercise routine while wearing arch supports inside training shoes. By undertaking these simple measures you can prevent the discomfort of arch pain which can otherwise linger for many months. While you allow the foot to recover, it will help to undertake low impact exercises (such as swimming or water aerobics).