The foot and ankle contain: 26 bones; 28 bones if you include the 2 sesamoid bones. These 56 bones in both feet comprise approximately 25% of the bones in the human body! The foot also includes 33 joints; 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons. Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones and ligaments are fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones.
During any activity involving your feet you are utilizing the plantar fascia which is located on the bottom of your feet connecting calcaneus and the metatarsal (toes) bones by this thick fibrous tissue. This acts as a rubber band type spring to keep your feet from going flat as compression is applied to the feet.
When too much compression activity is executed to the plantar fascia and not enough pre-activity stretching is completed the fascia becomes inflamed, this is labeled plantar fasciitis. Once this occurs it becomes very difficult to walk or participate in any plantar fascia activity, secondary to pain.
This article was written by Dr. Les Dutko, Ed.D, LAT, ATC.
To prevent plantar fasciitis you should stretch the calf muscle on a stretch or slant board or the sidewalk curb, ice and rest and lastly Low Dye taping technique. The latter will be illustrated in a follow-up article.