Plantar fasciitis: How to treat the pain in the sole of the foot

A person wakes up after a good night’s sleep, gets out of bed, puts his feet on the floor, feels a shock or a tingling in his heel, coming from bottom to top.

Then she needs to walk on tiptoe while changing clothes, going to the bathroom or making breakfast.

This scene, which occurs at some point in life with up to 10% of the population, is a typical description of a disease known as plantar fasciitis.

It usually appears after the third or fourth decade of life and is caused by a number of factors, ranging from the use of ill-fitting shoes to being overweight.

“It is a pain that greatly affects a person’s quality of life and, if left untreated, can lead to other imbalances in the knees, hips and even the spine,” warns orthopedic specialist Fernanda Catena, of July 9 Hospital, São Paulo.

The good news is that the treatment of this problem has developed a lot in recent years – nowadays, there are physiotherapy options and interventions at the site of the pain that allow resorting to surgery only as a last resort.

In this video, BBC News Brasil’s André Bernath explains what plantar fasciitis is and gives details on how to treat the problem.

Also read the text report: https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-61312373