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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 Portugal 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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Portugal is a country located in southwestern Europe. It’s one of the oldest nation-states of Europe and the world. Its territory had been continuously invaded, settled, and fought over since prehistoric times. Today, the country has become a major tourist destination, with its architecturally stunning cities, cobblestone villages, medieval castles, great food, stunning beaches, and incredible weather. Besides its beauty, Portugal is also attracting people from all around the world for its healthcare. The country offers a combination of state-of-the-art private medical centers, with spotless facilities and private rooms, a wide range of procedures, with very short waiting lists, as well as highly trained patient-oriented medical teams who are fluent in different languages. The physicians in this country have been trained by high standard medical schools, where just top and talented students are allowed to attend.
Lisbon is the capital and the largest city in Portugal. This city is filled with friendly people, history, mystique, and amazing food. Explore its many beautiful churches, listen to Fado, take a trip to the Castle of St. Jorge, see Sintra, and have some fun in one of its nightclubs. Another popular destination is Batalha, which is home to the UNESCO-listed Batalha Monastery. The monastery was build from 1386 to 1517 and is known as the greatest Gothic masterpieces in Europe. Those who want to party or soak up the sun should visit Lagos, while those who love to wander around and visit museums should visit Porto. Both of these cities are popular and fascinating.
International tourists usually arrive at Lisbon Airport. It is a hub for low-cost airlines EasyJet and Ryanair, and it serves flights to numerous cities around the world. To get around Portugal, trains and buses are very efficient. While trains are often cheaper, buses are usually quicker. Taxis are available in almost every city and are relatively cheap.
Since Portugal is part of the Schengen Area, citizens of 62 countries, including the US, Australia, the UAE, and Canada, are allowed to visit without a visa for up to 90 days. Citizens of most other countries are required to obtain a Schengen visa to visit the country.
From March to May it is spring and the weather is pleasant but there will likely be some heavy rain. Summer, is from June to mid-September, can be scorching hot with temperatures rising to mid 30oC. Autumn, starts from mid-September to December and it brings colder temperatures but and an increased chance of rain. Winter can get quite cold and the days are shorter and always expect rain and storms during this season.