There Is Never an Excuse to ignore High Blood PressureThere Is Never an Excuse to ignore High Blood Pressure


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There Is Never an Excuse to ignore High Blood Pressure

I used to thinkt that people in good health just had "healthy genes" and that daily habits didn't affect health very much. Due to that belief, when my doctor diagnosed me with high blood pressure and prescribed a medication to treat it, I didn't take it at first. I soon got a health "wake up call" when I began experiencing chest pains. My wife took me to the ER and, thankfully, they determined I wasn't having a heart attack, like I thought I was. The next day, I began taking my medication and living a healthier lifestyle. Soon, I was able to stop the medication due to my lifestyle changes, but I still monitor my blood pressure at home just to "stay on the safe side." I wanted to share my story to help others and plan to post many more health tips on my new blog.

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Don't Let Plantar Fasciitis Keep You Off Of Your Feet

Whether you're a casual walker, jogger or runner, plantar fasciitis is a foot condition so painful that you'll skip that day's exercise. Sometimes the pain can be so severe that you won't want to get out of bed. Here is what you need to know about this painful condition and how to deal with it should it surprise you some morning.

Plantar Fasciitis

Along the bottom of your feet runs a band of tissue called the plantar fascia. This tissue extends from your heel to the base of your toes. It helps to keep your arch in place and provides stability as you flex your foot up and down. When this tissue becomes irritated, it becomes swollen and painful. The pain can be so severe that you can't put weight on that foot.

Common Causes

While an injury to the foot can cause plantar fasciitis, the cause is most often due to pushing your feet beyond their limits. The typical causes of this foot pain include:

  • overheated and overworked foot muscles
  • weak foot muscles that no longer support the foot and arch
  • poor warmup routine before exercising resulting is the foot muscles being asked to perform before they are ready
  • poorly fitted footwear that puts stress on the muscles in the bottom of the foot

Your podiatrist will help you understand which of your actions are triggering the plantar fasciitis.

Common Symptoms

Symptoms can come on suddenly then go away just as quickly. Or they may stay around for several hours with the same intensity. The most common symptoms include:

  • sudden pain in the bottom of the foot first thing in the morning
  • burning sensation along the bottom of the foot where the tissue band resides
  • weakness in your foot when stepping on it

Typical Treatment Approaches

A podiatrist will recommend a few things to do to relieve your pain when it comes on. They will also suggest longer-term approaches to prevent a recurrence.

  • hold ice against the bottom of your foot to reduce the pain and swelling
  • roll your foot slowly back and forth on a tennis ball to relax the tissue band
  • use an anti-inflammatory and pain medication, such as ibuprofen

Long-term approaches include:

  • orthotics to wear in your shoes to support your feet
  • physical therapy to stretch out and strengthen the muscles in your feet
  • steroid injections into the tissue band for relief of pain and swelling

Your foot doctor will also help you put together a more effective warmup routine to get your feet ready for exercise and show you how to pick out the best shoes. For more information, contact Pinker & Associates or a similar organization.