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Treating Plantar Fasciitis with Night Splints

By: Teddy Stevennson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

The plantar fascia is a tough, fibrous band of connective tissue that runs from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. It plays an critical part in the normal foot mechanics whilst running, jumping and walking.

Plantar fasciitis or inflammation of the plantar fascia occurs when the plantar fascia suffers small tears where it joins the heel bone, or along the ligament itself. With poor biomechanics, overutilization or other catalysts, the force applied to the plantar fascia during the process of walking and running and the transfer of body weight from one foot to the other can rip the fascia from the heel and develop microscopic tears. Plantar fasciitis is a troublesome and degenerative condition. At its most extreme, the worst cases of plantar fasciitis can lead to ruptures in the ligament

Plantar fasciitis splints are typically referred to as "night splints" because they are used when the patient is asleep. Typically for use during the day, a lighter, more movable plantar fasciitis sock is used to stretch the plantar fascia during periods of rest. The night splint is a semi fixed, padded and comfortable boot. Night splints are often compared to comfortable boots for snowboarding.

Night splints can help reduce the most severe pain and inflammation of plantar fasciitis that is normally felt in the morning with the patient's first footsteps of the day. Night splints work by maintaining the foot in a comfortable position of dorsiflexion (toes pointing up rather than forward) at night and therefore preventing the shortening of the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon. The foot and ankle is held in a position of very mild stretch. The severe pain frequently felt first thing in the morning is caused by the weight of the first footsteps making the plantar fascia to overstretch due to the force of body weight, thus tearing the tiny fibers that had begun to heal in a shortened position during the night.

Wearing a night splint can speed up the healing process as the ligament is kept lined up with the arch of the foot. Since getting enough rest is key for the healing process, using a plantar fasciitis night splint can cut the discomfort caused during sleep and help the patient get better sleep. In addition, by maintaining correct alignment of the calf muscle, Achilles and plantar fascia during sleep, the foot is allowed to heal in a more natural, neutral, position.

Studies show that approximately 80% of patients report advances in their symptoms after wearing a night splint for some time. In particular, wearing night splints may be particularly useful in patients who have been suffering from plantar fasciitis for over one year.

Early diagnosis and a detailed plan of treatment are important for curing plantar fasciitis. If treatment is held up or inadequate in the early stages of plantar fasciitis, the condition can take up to 18 months or more to be fully healed. Nevertheless by sticking to a suitably structured treatment plan and combining several of the individual treatment methods available, luckily in the majority of cases, non-invasive treatment leads to a fully recovery. Only in the most extreme cases is surgery required.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Teddy Stevennson has more than 30 years experience of plantar fasciitis treatment. For a comprehensive review of plantar fasciitis treatments including plantar fasciitis night splints, shoes and exercises visit www.Plantar-FasciitisTreatment.com.