Ever suffered from heel pain? If you have, you're not alone. It's one of the most common foot complaints among runners and 'Plantar fasciitis' (Plant-er fash-ee-eye-tiss, if you're reading this out loud!) is one of the biggest causes. This inflammation of the 'Plantar fascia' can result in permanent damage, so here's our guide to spotting and treating the injury.

What is the Plantar Fascia?: The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the beginning of the toes. Inflammation is often first noted in the heel, where the plantar fascia originates, but can be found anywhere along the band.

Who's most likely to get this?: Anyone who has a less than perfect foot anatomy! Just about everybody who over pronates or supinates without correctly fitting supportive shoes can suffer because the plantar fascia has very little "flex" in it. That means minor changes to foot movement such as pronation and supination cause this 'band' to overstretch, pulling on its origin in the heel and causing the irritation that leads to the condition.

Peak times: Very often, the pain of this injury is worse in the morning, when you take those first few steps. It usually subsides after a few minutes of walking, though the more the plantar fascia is irritated, the longer the pain and inflammation will stay. Problems re-occur when the sufferer has to stand for long periods of time, or walk for too long without resting. This is the reason the condition earned the nickname 'Policeman's heel'.

What happens if it isn't treated?: If the problem goes untreated then tearing can occur; the body's natural defence is to fill this gap with calcium, which will eventually turn into bone and form a heel spur - a little 'hook' of bone. In other words, a regular runner who has Plantar Fasciitis and ignores it will quickly make matters a lot worse.

How can it be treated?: First, if in doubt, seek advice when any heel pain is recurrent. If it is Plantar Fasciitis, or if you're looking to prevent it, stretching as part of warm up/down sessions will help. Although some reports say that stretching before running can be bad, we at the Extra Mile believe a proper warm up of 5-10 minutes raises your body temperature and increases your blood flow, after which stretching is both important and useful.

Stretching exercise: When your basic stretches have been performed, stretch some more! Pay extra, special attention to the calf muscles: The gastrocnemius - the big one at the back, and the soleus, which is the smaller one lower down - should both be stretched. To help do this, place your toes against a wall, with your heel on the floor, so your foot's at a 45-degree angle. By bringing your hip closer to the wall, through pushing off the back foot, you'll not only stretch the calf, but also put a great stretch through the plantar fascia.

When should I do this?: At the first sign of heel pain! Simply stretch several times a day, for at least 30 seconds. Helping the Plantar Fascia through its range of movement like this will avoid putting undue pressure on its heel origin during your runs. Just remember to warm the area up first... A flight of stairs is plenty to warm up the calf muscle group for light stretching; more is required for prolonged or deep stretches.

Alphabet feet!: If you're experiencing pain in the heel first thing in the morning then stay in bed for a little while longer! Stay lying down and make your calf muscles more flexible by writing each letter of the alphabet with your big toes. After this, gently pull your big toe towards you to help elongate the fascia, but make sure you do this extremely gently.

Massage: Getting some massage to the area will improve blood flow and can help the very inflexible fascia elongate and relieve pressure on the heel. The location of the problem makes this somewhat harder to self-massage, though some benefit from resting their affected foot on a golf or tennis ball and rolling back and forth, gently massaging that way. If you can't get to a qualified Sport's masseur, such as www.creationfx.com then this technique can help increase your blood flow.

Anti-inflammatory: Using anti-inflammatory gels/capsules on the area can help reduce the inflammation but good old-fashioned rest is still the best way to help the body help itself. A number of people suggest the application of an ice pack for 15 minutes or so will help relieve the pain.