Do Compression Socks Help Plantar Fasciitis?

With plantar fasciitis, you experience chronic pain beneath your heel or the sole of your feet. It feels like inflammation but the condition is due to a sprain of the ligaments within a section of the foot referred to as the Plantar Fascia. The condition is also often caused by regularly wearing shoes that provide poor arch support. Without treatment, the pain from this disorder can get in the way of your everyday activities and responsibilities. Working out at the gym, running, driving, performing your job responsibilities, and several other daily tasks can all be affected due to plantar fasciitis pain. Keep reading for more information about plantar fasciitis as well as how compression socks can help alleviate the symptoms.

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Compression Socks and Plantar Fasciitis

Who is Prone to Plantar Fasciitis?

Elderly individuals, restaurant workers, nurses, and other professionals who spend most of their workday standing and walking are most at risk of developing plantar fasciitis. However, some other predisposing factors can make an individual more vulnerable to plantar fasciitis. For instance, wearing shoes with poor cushioning or inadequate arch support can cause you to develop the condition.

Furthermore, if you are obese, you may develop this condition due to the extra strain on your plantar fascia. Athletes commonly experience the disorder because of the shock the sole of the feet undergo through constant running and jumping. The best method to diagnose if you have plantar fasciitis is to get a proper examination from a qualified podiatrist.

Plantar Fasciitis: Symptoms and causes

Most people tend to label any arch or heel pain as plantar fasciitis even though several other things can cause the condition. That is why you need to know the symptoms to look out for and ascertain what’s causing your heel pain.

Generally, plantar fasciitis pain begins mildly and is typically felt in the morning, particularly when you are stepping out of bed. The pain can also be felt after you have been sitting for an extended period. Several individuals with plantar fasciitis complain of pain within the heel bone, which can be likened to sharp prickly pain.

Activities that put undue pressure on your plantar fasciae – such as prolonged standing or walking, long-distance running, or added strain from weight gain – can play a part in the development of plantar fasciitis. Other risk factors include being overweight, having flat feet, and tight calf muscles. One of the most effective treatment options podiatrists recommends for combating or preventing plantar fasciitis is wearing proper fitting and supportive shoes.

How Do Compression Socks Help?

After you have been properly diagnosed, you must find a comprehensive treatment plan that will help provide you with lasting relief. Compression socks (sometimes referred to as support hose) do not cure plantar fasciitis; however, they can be a useful supplement to your healing arsenal. These socks function by applying mild but sustained pressure on your arches to enhance blood circulation, thereby lessening inflammation and providing extra support to your arches.

Advantages of Wearing Compression Socks

Provides Arch Support: compression socks provide additional cushion around the foot for additional arch support. They also lessen the shock from your foot’s impact with the ground thereby making movement simpler and less painful.
Reduces leg swelling: plantar fasciitis causes blood accumulation within the feet, which results in swelling and discomfort. The compression supplied by the socks helps to boost blood circulation to the upper parts of your legs, helping to reduce swelling as well as prevent blood clots.
Reduces cramps: Cramping within the leg is a common plantar fasciitis symptom. Leg cramps are involuntary spasms within the leg muscles that may make movements difficult and painful. These agonizing cramps can be averted with the aid of compression socks. The socks help to keep the ligaments and muscles in a stretched-out condition thereby providing relief from plantar fasciitis pain.
Ankle relief: If you have severe plantar fasciitis, you may experience pain all over your foot which may radiate to your ankles. Compression socks that wrap around both your feet and ankles can help keep the pain localized whilst reducing it.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that compression socks can help alleviate pain and discomfort associated with plantar fasciitis. However, there are other effective methods to manage the disorder.

Otherways to Control Plantar Fasciitis and Relieve Pain

Wear Supportive Shoes

Wearing supportive and well-fitted shoes is one of the most effective and enduring ways to keep plantar fasciitis under control. Poor-fitting or flat-soled shoes can cause inflammation and ultimately plantar fasciitis. Wearing shoes that support your arches and are adequately cushioned for your heels and feet will help resolve the disorder and also prevent it from occurring.

See also: Best Supportive Shoes for Nurses

Use Medication

Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Tylenol or Advil are often beneficial for reducing swelling and pain. These medications will also help accelerate the healing process.

Custom Orthotic Inserts

You can buy custom orthotic inserts over the counter or have your doctor prescribe one. In any case, these inserts can provide additional padding for the sole of your foot thereby reducing the strain on your inflamed plantar fascia ligaments and allowing them to heal naturally.

Heat and Cold Therapy

This approach to managing plantar fasciitis symptoms is very widespread because heat and cold therapy are extremely affordable and entirely natural. Applying cold or heat compress to the affected region can help alleviate soreness and speed up the healing process.

As you try out these methods, bear in mind that no single plantar fasciitis treatment works for everybody. A combination of treatments often works best. While you can get short-term relief from medication and heat therapies, lifestyle changes such as changing your shoes will deliver the greatest impact.

Best Shoes for Nurses with Plantar Fasciitis – Top Picks

Saucony Women’s Cohesion 10

Saucony is a highly reputed maker of sports gear with well over a century’s experience in the business. If you are in the market for a pair of nurse shoes that will help alleviate heel pain due to plantar fasciitis, the women’s Cohesion 10 by Saucony may be your finest bet. Some of the elements that make the footwear superb for plantar fasciitis include an injection-molded EVA for enhanced shock absorption and its lightweight breathable mesh upper.

Check the Latest Price and More Details: Saucony Women’s Cohesion 10

Brooks Women’s Addiction Walker

The women’s Addiction Walker by Brooks comes loaded with ground-breaking technologies for a comfy walking experience. If you overpronate or have low arches, this shoe is engineered to supply the support you require for all-day standing or walking. The insole is tenderly cushioned with BioMoGo DNA ensuring each step you take is comfortable. Besides, the footwear has removable insoles meaning that it can accept custom orthotics.

Check the Latest Price and More Details: Brooks Women’s Addiction Walker

Alegria Women’s Debra Slip-On

Alegria is recognized for producing some of the classiest nursing shoes that also deliver excellent arch support plus foot alignment. The women’s Debra from Alegria has a slip-on construction and is made with first-class leather for enhanced durability. It boasts a roomy, rounded toe box that ensures ample wiggle and breathing space for your delicate toes. If you are seeking a simple slip-on shoe that will not exacerbate your plantar fasciitis, look no further than this Alegria’s clog style shoe.

Check the Latest Price and More Details: Alegria Women’s Debra Slip-On

Vionic Women’s Walker Classic

This impressive Vionic sneaker features a robust leather upper that also feels plush to the foot. Its podiatrist-designed footbed will help prevent sore feet and blisters even when you are doing 12-hour shifts. This cozy shoe is also very simple to wear and take off – thanks to its fairly elastic construction.

Check the Latest Price and More Details: Vionic Women’s Walker Classic

Orthofeet Men’s Proven Sneaker

Orthofeet is perhaps the leading producer of first-class medical shoes in the world today. Men’s sneakers from this brand are tremendously popular for combating several foot conditions including plantar fasciitis. Along with many other comfort features, the Orthofeet men’s proven sneaker also boasts rows of plush insoles that are designed to provide superior shock absorption and support.

Check the Latest Price and More Details: Orthofeet Men’s Proven Sneaker