If plantar fasciitis pain has become a regular part of your routine, ignoring it is one of the worst things you can do for your body. While plantar fasciitis starts with aches and pains, leaving it untreated can cause a few complications that we at Podiatry Center of New Jersey think you should know about.
The Shift in Your Natural Stride
When your heel hurts, your body naturally tries to protect the painful area. You might find yourself subconsciously walking on your toes, shifting your weight to the outer edge of your foot, or shortening your stride to avoid a hard heel strike.
While this limp helps your heel in the short term, it creates a massive imbalance in the rest of your body. By moving in a way you aren’t designed to, you are putting unnatural stress on your ankles and knees.
Over time, this often leads to secondary injuries like tendonitis or overuse aches in your shins. Essentially, by trying to save your foot, you are accidentally wearing out the joints that have to pick up the slack.
Hip and Back Pain
When your feet are off-balance, the ripples travel all the way up your body. If you’ve been favoring one foot for months, your pelvis eventually tilts to compensate for your altered gait.
This misalignment can lead to deep aches in your hips and chronic lower back pain. It is a frustrating cycle: you started with a foot problem, and now you’re sitting on a heating pad for your back.
Heel Spurs
If you leave the plantar fascia in a constant state of inflammation, the tissue itself begins to change. Chronic inflammation can lead to plantar fasciosis, where the tissue starts to degenerate and lose its healthy, elastic structure. This makes the condition much harder to treat later.
Plus, your body might react to the constant pulling on your heel bone by building a heel spur. While the spur itself might be painless at first, it’s a sign that the mechanical stress on your foot has reached a point where your body is trying to bolt the bone tissue together.
Impact on Your Quality of Life
Beyond the physical wear and tear of plantar fasciitis, the biggest complication is how it limits your life. When walking becomes a chore, you start skipping the gym, avoiding walks with your dog, and passing on social outings that involve standing.
This decline in activity can lead to weight gain, which only puts more pressure on your already angry feet.
Don’t wait this long. Addressing the problem now with orthotics and a proper treatment plan is much easier than fixing a gait abnormality or an aching back 2 years from now.
If you have more questions about foot care or want to address specific concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to the expert team at Podiatry Center of New Jersey! Give us a call at (973) 925-4111 or make an appointment online.
