Many people check their step counters daily in hopes of improving their health. But for Karina Rizvanova, a resident of the Kazakh capital, blindly following this rule led to an unexpected diagnosis and painful symptoms, reports infohub.kz.
"For three months, I walked 10,000 steps a day and started developing plantar fasciitis. Be careful, it's terribly unpleasant when every morning the first steps are painful. Now I roll a ball, get massages, and after a month it's gotten better," she wrote on Threads.
In the comments, Kazakhs supported the woman and many shared their own stories. It turned out that many had faced a similar problem.
"I know the feeling, I also walked 10-12 thousand steps every day for activity, since I have a sedentary job. I got this fasciitis. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to go away. I had to reduce my activity," wrote user izzmaylovaa.
What is this disease?
Plantar fasciitis (also known as plantar fasciopathy or heel spur) is inflammation and wear of the dense connective tissue on the sole of the foot that supports its arch.
Symptoms: sharp, burning pain in the heel area. Severe pain with the first steps in the morning or after rest. Pain that eases during walking and worsens towards the end of the day.
What doctors say
Doctors believe that the number 10,000 steps itself is not dangerous, but regularly repeating such a load creates millions of cycles of pressure on the foot. If the body does not have conditions for adequate recovery or there are hidden anatomical triggers, micro-tears and inflammation occur in the plantar fascia.
In particular, a clinical review in StatPearls on NCBI states that medical experts directly identify prolonged walking, sudden increases in activity, excess weight, and biomechanical foot abnormalities (such as flat feet or tight calf muscles) as key risk factors.
Doctors advise not to rush and to increase step load gradually.
Earlier, Kursiv explored whether it is possible to live with a bunion on the foot without surgery.