Do you suffer from heel pain?
If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people receive treatment for heel pain each year. ¹
One of the most common causes of heel pain is a condition known as plantar fasciitis. A common indicator for plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel and arch first thing in the morning or after sitting for a long period of time. A study conducted with 254 plantar fasciitis patients showed that 211 or 83% of those patients had limited ankle dorsiflexion² also known as equinus. Someone with equinus is not easily able to bend their foot up towards their leg due to inflexibility.
So, what does this mean?
The majority of plantar fasciitis cases are caused by a tightening or inflexibility of the lower leg and foot muscles. The tightening of the leg muscles often occurs during periods of rest after stretches of activity. For example, a person standing and walking on their feet all day may wake up the next morning with sore and tight feet and calves. Through the night, the muscles contract and tighten. This causes those first steps of the morning to be quite uncomfortable.
To combat this condition, podiatrists frequently prescribe night splints for their patients. Night splints are boot like products worn while you sleep. The splints keep your foot in a flexed position throughout the night keeping your foot and leg muscles elongated. These devices have a few downsides. They are usually large, heavy, cumbersome, and difficult to maneuver during the night making sleep difficult. Also, these boots can be extremely hot and often cause irreparable damage to bedding.
Plantar fasciitis night socks are much more comfortable while still providing the same benefits. Socks have a lower profile making movement less cumbersome and therefore make sleeping easier. Most of the socks on the market do have challenges. Customer reviews show socks tend to make legs heat up at night because the sock covers the foot and goes all the way to the knee. Most socks have rough hook and loop fasteners which snag sheets. However, the most prevalent complaint is about toe comfort. By keeping the foot in a flexed position, the large toe is often pulled back without the other toes, causing pain and numbness in the toes.
Medi-Dyne has released a new product to their ProStretch brand, and it just may be the solution we have all been waiting for.
ProStretch Night Sock
ProStretch Night Sock is made with low profile hook and loop fasteners, so sheets are not damaged. It is designed with a shorter sock made of soft, lightweight, breathable material for a cool and restful sleep. Also included by design is a full toe support, which allows for all toes to slightly bend and stay in line with your big toe providing better results and enhanced comfort. The ProStretch Night Sock is adjustable for desired tension and works well with most foot and leg sizes.
For best results in recovering from plantar fasciitis, Podiatrists recommend daily active stretching and using heel cups or arch supports in shoes along with the nightly regimen of a sock or splint.
Visit www.prostretch.com for more information about ProStretch Night Sock and other plantar fasciitis solutions.
Video demonstration on how to use ProStretch Night Sock
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¹Physicians Sports Medical Journal, Interventions for treating plantar heel pain, The Foot, Volume 11, Issue 4
²Patel A, DiGiovanni B. Association between plantar fasciitis and isolated contracture of the gastrocnemius. Foot Ankle Int. 2011; 32(1):5-8.
