Your Health by Dr. Rallie McAllister

If you're like most Americans, you spend more than four hours a day on your feet and take around 5,000 steps daily. That's quite a pounding for your poor pups, so it's no wonder they whimper at the end of a long day.

But if your feet hurt as soon as they hit the floor each morning, you could have a condition called plantar fasciitis.

The plantar fascia is a fibrous band of tissue that runs under the arch of the foot from the heel to the base of the toes. With each step you take, your heel strikes the ground, flattening your arch and stretching your plantar fascia.

When this tissue gets stretched too often or too far, it can become irritated and inflamed, leading to plantar fasciitis. The condition can affect one foot or both.

Symptoms can strike folks who are sedentary or active, and those with high arches or flat feet. Flare-ups may occur after walking or standing on any surface that your feet are unaccustomed to, whether it's deep sand, the rung of a ladder or rock-hard concrete.

The condition may also be triggered by wearing different types of shoes. Women who trade their customary high heels for a new pair of flats are especially vulnerable.

Weekend warriors and super jocks can develop plantar fasciitis when they push themselves too hard. Even weight gain can lead to the condition.

Regardless of the cause, the end result is rather predictable. If you're unfortunate enough to develop plantar fasciitis, you'll likely experience discomfort along the arch of your foot and at the inner part of your heel.

The pain typically strikes in the morning with your first step of the day. After a few minutes spent hopping and hobbling about in agony, the pain may subside, only to return with a vengeance later in the day.

Getting plantar fasciitis is easy, but getting rid of it is another story. If you're lucky, the condition — and the associated pain — will resolve in a matter of days. But in some cases, it lingers on for weeks or months.

The sooner you start treating plantar fasciitis, the better off you'll be. You can begin your treatment at home with a few do-it-yourself remedies.

Since inflammation is at the root of the problem, taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine is a good place to start.

Rubbing your aching arches with ice cubes several times a day can also ease your suffering. If your significant other owes you a big favor, you might be able to negotiate a therapeutic foot massage. But if you strike out, rolling a golf ball or a can of corn beneath your arches is the next best thing.

If your dogs are still barking in spite of your best efforts, you might want to walk them directly to your doctor's office. Depending on your level of pain and desperation, you might agree to a steroid shot, which your physician will inject into the heel of your foot.

Most people who've had this type of treatment agree the week of relief it provides is well worth the 30 seconds of agony it causes.

Your doctor may also advise you to treat your feet to a pair of support devices called orthotics. These shoe inserts can help shore up weak arches and stabilize your feet.

You might get some relief with over-the-counter arch supports, but those of the custom-made variety are generally far superior. They're also far more expensive — a good pair can set you back several hundred dollars.

If you've never had plantar fasciitis, you'll probably want to keep it that way. Well-made shoes are your best protection, since they give your hardworking feet the support they deserve.

Proper arch support and flexible soles are basic requirements, but even the best shoes won't help if they don't fit your feet. Since feet and toes tend to expand and change shape with age, it's entirely possible that the shoes you wore to your high school prom may not fit properly today.

It's a good idea to have your feet measured at least every two years, and adjust your shoe size and style accordingly.

If your feet are your major mode of transportation, you'll definitely want to take care of them. You've still got a lot of ground to cover.

Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her Website is www.rallieonhealth.com. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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