If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, you know that there is nothing worse than the pain that comes with the overstretched and strained ligaments in your feet. Did you know graduated compression socks for plantar fasciitis can help provide relief? With several treatment options, you may have gone through trial and error trying to find the best solution. While everyone’s case is different and treatments work differently for everyone, we at SMOOTHTOE® believe in the power of graduated compression socks.
How Compression Socks For Plantar Fasciitis Work
Compression socks for plantar fasciitis’ main purpose is to enhance the circulation of fresh, oxygenated blood to the muscles, joints, and tendons in your legs to enable them to operate more efficiently.
They act as an option for pain relief and can benefit you in your healing process. SMOOTHTOE® socks are specially designed with targeted compression points along the foot and up the leg with a tight fit in the areas that need the most support to help promote blood flow and boost circulation. The most compression begins at the mid-arch of the foot with 20-30 mmHg and graduates to a lesser amount of compression at the knee. In other words, more squeeze at the foot and ankle less at the knee.
If you’re on your feet every day, you may already be familiar with compression socks. They’re a popular accessory for healthcare and restaurant workers looking to prevent foot and ankle swelling during long shifts. In addition, compression socks are also used in the treatment of painful varicose veins.
What you may not be familiar with are the many benefits of using compression socks for plantar fasciitis. Here’s how they work:
- Arch support – Unlike the flimsy structure of a regular sock, a compression sock offers support for your arch and heel. While this won’t provide as much support as an orthotic insert, compression socks can significantly reduce arch pain when standing or walking.4
- Swelling – If you’ve noticed your condition has reached a point of swelling, a pair of compression socks can help prevent further inflammation and damage to the ligament.5
- Ankle relief – A bad case of plantar fasciitis can cause pain to radiate throughout your foot and ankle. Compression socks can help mitigate pain, provide ankle support, and stop symptoms from spreading any further.
- Cramps – Another common symptom of plantar fasciitis is cramping in the foot and leg. Cramps occur when muscles tighten up into a shortened position, making movement difficult. Compression socks can prevent these painful cramps and provide plantar fasciitis relief by keeping the muscles and ligaments in an elongated state.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
To treat plantar fasciitis, it’s helpful to have a clear picture of the problem, and that starts with learning about the plantar fascia.
Your plantar fascia is a thick ligament on the bottom of your foot that covers the entirety of your arch and fans out from your heel to your toes.2 The fibrous tissue of your plantar fascia ligament is biologically designed to support you at each step.
Unfortunately, your plantar fascia is vulnerable to:
- Pulls
- Strains
- Tears
If your plantar fascia ligament is injured, the resulting tissue damage and inflammation are known as plantar fasciitis.
Symptoms Of Plantar Fasciitis
You may be suffering from plantar fasciitis without realizing it. Too often, foot pain is accepted or ignored, despite its effect on your quality of life and mobility.
When plantar fasciitis occurs, the plantar fascia is inflamed and possibly suffering from microtears. Common symptoms include:
- Heel pain
- Post-exercise pain
- Arch pain
- Foot swelling
- Tightness in Achilles tendon
This foot pain can be either dull or sharp and typically arises when a person is walking or running. The pain will often subside during times of rest. Additionally, plantar fasciitis can disturb nerves in your ankle and may even offset your gait, causing back pain due to compromised posture.
SMOOTHTOE® socks are a compression sock with more of an athletic look and feel, however, they are slightly tighter to help create therapeutic support to relieve pain and to create foot and leg energy. Because of the way they are designed, lactic acid and other fluids are forced out of the muscle tissue and into the bloodstream, reducing muscle soreness and swelling.
SMOOTHTOE® 15-20 mmHg and 20-30 mmHg knee-high style graduated compression socks are registered with the FDA as a Class I Medical Device.
With our advanced technology focusing on the perfect fit, moisture control, and the ability to adapt to your environment, we create some of the best socks you’ll ever wear. They are the most comfortable graduated compression socks on the market — easier to put on and take off than other brands — machine washable and dryer safe and carry an unmatched Replacement Warranty.
Our company’s years of research and development with leading medical facilities, athletes, and physicians have led SMOOTHTOE® (and our VO2FX® line) to our unique design. The graduated compression in SMOOTHTOE® promotes blood flow back up the leg and returns fresh, oxygenated blood, resulting in increased energy in your legs and feet.
We want to provide you with the best products for your feet, and if you suffer from plantar fasciitis, you’ve come to the right place. Our mission is clear – to make everyone feel and perform better. For more information, visit our online store or give us a call at (507)-725-8883 today!