As society moves in blinding paces, so too do our bodies grind with hustle and bustle demands of modern lifestyle. Today, there is a growing number of known physical injuries to muscle and joints. The carpal tunnel syndrome, a hand-related strain-stress injury, is a relatively new phenomenon which develops from the use of a computer mouse.
Another one of those currently increasing instances of new injury is the plantar fasciitis a common and kind of recurring strain injury among people who uses their feet and legs heavily. These include runners, hikers and even cashiers who stand for considerable amount of time. The injury is a repeating combination of foot, arch and heel pain. More severe cases have been known to lead to temporary or permanent disability. In more scientific terms, plantar fasciitis is caused by chronic irritation of the arch of the foot due to excessive strain and various other causes including bone spurs, flat feet, pronation and tight calves.
Since plantar fasciitis is a relatively new medical problem and its cases have only begun to increase in the last decade, science has only also recently began better understanding the problem. As such a lot of misleading information about it remains floating around the internet. One of those information is that plantar fasciitis is a form of tendonitis which has been completely disproved by medical researches since tendonitis involve the inflammation of the tendons while plantar fasciitis does not involved such inflammation. Plantar fasciitis is not triggered by collagen degeneration while tendonitis is.
Regardless of faulty information, today, there are already various medications and therapies that are legitimately viable treatments for plantar fasciitis. Most of these treatments are meant to relieve pain in the heel improve strength and flexibility in the short run and more continuous therapy for a sustained period is expected to heal fascia ligaments and even correct foot problems such as flat footedness.
In terms of medication, simple pain relievers have been proven to work on plantar fasciitis. They include common household ibofrupen like Advil and Motrin IB as well as naprozen sodium such as Aleve which help alleviate pain but do not treat the root cause of the problem. These medications are over-the counter drugs that may be bought even without the prescription of a podiatrist in Singapore.
More corrective and healing treatments like flat feet treatment include a range of activities. Physical therapies like stretching using special devices can provide symptom relief and strengthen plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, leg muscles that assist ankles and knees. Arch support braces can also serve the same purpose by providing support for the stretching of the feet and distribute weight more evenly. These treatments are provided by numerous podiatry centres.
More intensive Singapore’s plantar fasciitis treatments on the other hand might require injections of steroid medication that can relieve heavy pains for more extended periods. Platelet-rich plasma has also been made available for this purpose and is considered a relatively better option since it involves less risk of tissue rapture. Next to injections, the extracorpreal shockwave therapy provides a better healing option. Under the treatment, sound waves are directed to the heel to relieve pain and stimulate healing. It is a rigorous process usually advisable only for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis and those who do not respond to more conservative treatment methods. As a strong procedure, it has been known to cause side-effects such as bruising, swelling, pain, numbness, or tingling. Due to its extensive nature, and its cost despite very little evidence to show that it is consistently effective, there are only very few clinics or facilities that offer such service. Outside the U.S., these medical centers are limited in Japan and Singapore.