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Plantar fasciitis is a condition in which the plantar fascia is inflamed. The plantar fascia is a thick ligament located across the bottom of your foot. It connects your toe with your heel bone. This condition is one of the most common orthopedic complaints and it causes pain at the bottom of your heel.
There are several types of treatment available to treat plantar fasciitis, including therapy, surgery, and other procedures. Your doctor will be able to determine the best type of treatment for you.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is a key treatment for plantar fasciitis. During physical therapy, you will learn exercises to stretch your plantar fascia and strengthen your lower leg muscles, which will help stabilize your walking and lessen the workload on your plantar fascia. Your physical therapist may also use contrast baths, massage, or ultrasonography to help with your long-term healing.
Steroid injections
Your doctor may recommend steroid injections to relieve your pain temporarily, usually for about a month. It will also keep your inflammation down. The steroid medication is normally injected into the tender area or the most painful area of your plantar fascia. However, multiple shots are not recommended as they can weaken your plantar fascia, which can cause it to rupture.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy
If physical therapy and other methods are not working, your doctor may suggest you undergo extracorporeal shock wave therapy. During this procedure, your doctor directs sound waves to the area of the heel where you experience pain to stimulate healing within the ligament. The sound waves literally “shock” your plantar fascia, which may reduce the pain you experience.
Surgery
Surgery is only performed where other methods have not worked, your pain is severe, or your pain lasts more than 6 to 12 months. There are two types of surgery that can be performed to treat plantar fasciitis:
Plantar fascia release involves partially detaching your plantar fascia from the heel bone to release tension and relieve inflammation.
Gastrocnemius recession is done to lengthen your calf muscle to release stress on the plantar fascia and increase your ankle motion. This procedure is typically recommended if you find it hard to flex your feet even though you consistently stretch.
Your length of stay depends on the type of treatment you underwent. For non-surgical treatments, you should be able to leave Bulgaria within 3 to 5 days. For surgical treatments, you may need to stay in the country for 7 days. For physical therapy, your length of stay depends on the frequency and how many appointments are needed. Your doctor/physical therapist/medical travel team will be able to advise you on this.
The recovery time will vary from person to person, depending on the severity of your condition and the type of treatment you have. With most types of treatments, you can go back to your normal routine within 1-2 weeks. With surgical procedures, you may need to wait for 3 to 6 weeks until you can go back to your normal routine. Whether you have a non-surgical or surgical procedure, it is important to increase the intensity and time of your activities gradually.
After all types of plantar fasciitis treatment, your doctor will give you instructions that you need to follow. These may include medications to take, diet plan to follow, exercises you can do, restrictions, and wound care (for surgical procedures).
After you have fully recovered, it is important that you maintain a healthy weight and you should also try to do low-impact exercises. It is also important that you wear shoes that fit well and support your arch.
Most types of plantar fasciitis treatment are generally effective and safe. However, extracorporeal shock wave therapy has not been shown to be consistently effective. Plantar fasciitis treatment, with the exception of physical therapy, carries some risks and side effects, such as nerve problems, neuroma, recurring heel pain, infection, chronic pain, bruises, numbness, and swelling.
In cases where your plantar fasciitis is not severe, you may be able to take pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, to ease your pain and inflammation. Your doctor may also recommend night splints or orthotics as the alternative. Night splints are used to stretch your calf and the arch of your foot while you sleep. Orthotics are custom-fitted arch supports that can help distribute pressure to your feet more evenly.
Whilst the information presented here has been accurately sourced and verified by a medical professional for its accuracy, it is still advised to consult with your doctor before pursuing a medical treatment at one of the listed medical providers
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Bulgaria has plenty to offer and tourists are going to be very impressed with the country’s mountainous landscapes, beautiful Black Sea beaches, fascinating history, friendly locals, lively nightlife, and affordability. Although the country’s holiday tourism is very much on the radar, it is also actually quite popular with medical tourists, due to its modern medical centers, highly trained medical professionals, state-of-the-art equipment, affordable healthcare, and mineral baths, thousands of medical tourists visit this country each year. Most of the medical tourists come for dental treatment, orthopedic surgery, elective surgery, neurosurgery, as well as health screening.
Bulgaria’s laid-back capital city, Sofia, is truly a must-visit. It is full of museums, Ottoman mosques, communist architecture, chic galleries, Eastern Orthodox churches, amazing restaurants, and upbeat clubs. One of the most popular landmarks in the country is the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, which is an awe-inspiring church built between 1882 and 1912 to honor 200,000 Russian soldiers who died fighting for the independence of Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish war. If you want to relax on beautiful beaches visit Varna, which is a major tourist destination during the summer. The second-largest, city in Bulgaria is Plovdiv and it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Tourists are attracted by the Roman Amphitheatre, Archeological Museum, and Tsar Simeon Central Garden.
Most international tourists will arrive at Sofia Airport, which serves flights to most numerous major cities in Europe and the Middle East. There are several budget airlines that operate flights from this airport, including Ryanair and Wizz Air. Domestic flights are available, but they tend to be expensive. Therefore, to travel from one city to another, trains and buses are the best option. Buses and trains are punctual and affordable. However, if you are in a hurry, you should avoid trains as they can be a little slow. To travel around big cities, taxis are widely available and are really cheap. Just make sure you choose a licensed taxi to avoid being overcharged.
While Bulgaria is not yet a part of the Schengen Area, it has a visa policy that is based on the Schengen system. Therefore, holders of Schengen Visa are allowed to enter the country. Additionally, citizens of 62 countries, including the US, Australia, and the UAE, can stay in the country for up to 90 days without a visa.
From June to August, Bulgaria experiences summer. The weather can get a bit hot and humid, with an average temperature of 19°C to 21°C. July is the wettest month in the country. Winter, from December to February, is usually freezing. Autumn and Spring bring pleasant weather.