Managing Plantar Fasciitis in the Workplace

Have you ever gotten a great night of sleep and awakened feeling fresh and ready for the day? You get to work and get busy, on the move non-stop. Even after hours on your feet, you’re handling the pace well until you get hit with stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot. The pain shoots up the back of your heel and is enough to stop you in your tracks. You take a moment to shake it off, let the pain pass, or even step off the floor to take off your shoe and give yourself an impromptu massage.

But the relief is only temporary and you find the pain comes back, sometimes worse, or even in both feet. By the end of the day, you’re limping to your car, and you spend the evening soaking your feet and thinking about more days of working in pain.

Many people who work on their feet for hours have had this kind of pain but not given it much thought, chalking it up to a long workday. But brushing it off could be a mistake, as you could be experiencing one of the most common causes of chronic foot pain, plantar fasciitis.

Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of thick tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot, connecting the toes to the heel. In addition to the stabbing pain, other symptoms include:

• Heel and arch stiffness
• Swollen feet
• Tight calf muscles
• Burning and tender soles

One of the reasons plantar fasciitis doesn’t get the attention it deserves is because it’s a type of pain that comes and goes. The pain hits suddenly, and often decreases; and when you’re working, you are usually too busy to stop, so you let the pain pass and finish your day. But continuing to work this way will allow the pain to come back with a vengeance, eventually becoming too bad to ignore. That’s why people who work on their feet or sit for long periods are at higher risk of developing the condition.

What causes Plantar Fasciitis?

When you walk, your foot rolls with each step. When your foot rolls in too far, it’s called over-pronation. The causes of over-pronation vary with each person, but some of the possible causes are weight gain, tight calf muscles, poor body mechanics, and not wearing well-structured, supportive footwear.

The tissues of the fascia normally serve as a shock-absorbing arch support, taking on the stretches that come with walking and running and the pressure of standing. But when you stand, walk, or run for a long time – like many of us do at work every day – the stress can cause small tears in the fascia. And when you work on your feet every day, this repeat occurrence can make the situation worse.

And standing isn’t the only work-related risk factor. If you are in a sedentary role, the stiffness that develops after several hours, followed by the shock of standing, can have the same impact on your feet. Standing and stretching periodically can reduce the painful effects.

Treatment

There are a number of methods for treating chronic foot conditions, but you can manage plantar fasciitis yourself with some basic lifestyle changes. Stretching your calf muscles is one of the best ways to reduce the discomfort of plantar fasciitis. Resting your feet and applying ice to your arch and heels will reduce inflammation. And finally, for your long work days, choose the kind of footwear that will prevent the pain and give you the support you need.

Choosing Supportive Shoes

For standing, sitting, and exercising, one of the most important decisions you can make is a good shoe designed to support your feet for your lifestyle.

Choosing the right footwear is probably one of the best things you can do to prevent or treat the pain of plantar fasciitis. While shoes are not a cure for the condition, you can give yourself a great deal of relief and prevent symptoms from worsening. There are not shoes designed specifically for the condition, but fortunately, there are shoes designed with the features you need.

Look for the following features when selecting your shoes:

• High arch support
• Deep heel cup
• Shock absorbing heels
• Back straps or support
• Wide toe boxes
• Contoured and cushioned footbeds
• Flexible design to reduce heel stress when rolling the foot

While these features are typically associated with running shoes, there are other styles that also offer structure and support. Clogs and flats with the right design can support you if your workplace prohibits wearing sneakers on the floor. You can also opt for shoes with a removable insole to allow you to insert special insoles or orthotics.

If you have experienced pain in your feet even once, don’t ignore it. Plantar Fasciitis starts small but can lead to serious issues. Making a few small changes now can lead to big relief and long-time health for your feet.

**It is advisable to consult a health-care professional such as a doctor or podiatrist before taking action based on any information found on our website. Our goal is to provide information and educate others on a number of issues relating to foot health, not give medical instruction.

About author:

Derek Roach is a foot health specialist and has worked in the foot health industry for over 10 years. He is knowledge in various foot conditions and shoe features to help with those conditions. Also, he has been quoted on CNN, The Penny Hoarder, HuffPost, Dapper Confidential and other popular publications for foot and shoe-related topics.