The President and Plantar Fasciitis: 3 Tips to alleviate your heel pain

 Whether you’re a blue or red or somewhere in between, we can all agree that foot pain sucks. President Obama has a recurring case of plantar fasciitis on his right foot, according to his physician. For a guy who's passion is basketball, this extremely uncomfortable and painful condition is nothing he's happy about. 

Pronounced PLAN-tur-fas-e-I-tis, this condition is one of the most common causes of heel pain, particularly for the 40-60 year old set. The plantar fascia is a thick, protective ligament that runs from the heel bone to the base of your toes, and when it develops tiny tears it begins to inflame due to repeated stress.

According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching and strengthening exercises or use of specialized devices may provide symptom relief.

These include:

•Physical therapy. A physical therapist can instruct you in a series of exercises to stretch the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon and to strengthen lower leg muscles, which stabilize your ankle and heel.

•Night splints. Your physical therapist or doctor may recommend wearing a splint that stretches your calf and the arch of your foot while you sleep. This holds the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon in a lengthened position overnight and facilitates stretching.

•Orthotics and proper footwear. Under normal circumstances, your plantar fascia acts like a shock-absorbing bowstring, supporting the arch in your foot. If tension on that bowstring becomes too great, it creates those small tears in the fascia, and it can become irritated or inflamed. Because of this, arch support is an integral part of your foot care, so invest in custom-made orthotics or try a pair of Therafit Shoes, all with patented technology for customizable impact resistance in the heel, and superior arch support.

You'll be back on your game in no time.

Make Your Whole Body Happy. The Obama Administration has approved this message. ;)