Plantar fasciitis, the inflammation and pain of the plantar fascia can make walking extremely difficult, especially first thing in the morning. The plantar fascia is the band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes and causes sharp heel pain when it acts up. More women get it than men and it seems to be more common between the ages of 40 and 60 years old.
– Participating in exercises that stress your heel and foot, such as long distance running, dance aerobics, and ballet.
– Being obese puts a tremendous amount of stress on your foot and the plantar fascia.
– Certain professions, like nurses, who do a lot of walking or cashiers, who do a lot of standing, help contribute to plantar fasciitis.
– Foot problems, such as flat feet or high arches.
– Footwear such as high heels put a tremendous amount of stress on your Achilles tendon, which in turn will pull on the plantar fascia. Ill-fitting shoes or ones that don’t properly absorb the shock of your steps don’t help either.