Heel Pain
Plantar Fasciitis is an irritation of a ligament that connects the heel bone to the toes and provides support for your arch. Under normal circumstances, the Plantar Fascia acts as a shock absorber for the arch. If you have this injury, it means that your arch is flattening in order to handle the percussion that is caused by your heel striking the ground. The persistent strain on the Plantar Fascia causes the ligament to become weak, inflamed, swollen, and causes sharp pain in the heel. Eventually, if the injury goes untreated, tiny tears will occur in the ligament. Some causes of this injury include:
- A weak hip because it offsets the rotating motion of the legs and feet and causes an imbalance and extra wear and tear.
- High arches or flat feet
- excessive pronation: feet roll inward too much as a person walks
- walking, standing, or running for long periods of time
- too much time on hard surfaces
- tight Achilles Tendons or calf muscles
- worn out or improperly fitting shoes
Plantar Fasciitis will surely affect your Golf game. However, there are some beneficial things you can do to get back in the game.
- Proper stretching
- Find a good quality, well-fitting golf shoe that protects your feet.
- Try the golf ball exercise. It is as simple as it sounds and extremely effective. Place a golf ball on the floor and rub your foot over it to massage the Plantar Fascia. This will stimulate blood to the feet and reduce the irritations on the Plantar Fascia that are causing the pain. Many people use this method as part of their daily activity when they are doing something sedentary.