Plantar fasciitis has plagued many sports stars in the past, even in big names such as Chicago Bulls.
It's most recent victim is Washington Wizard's Nene who, despite suffering from extreme pain caused by the disease, has continued to participate in games. However, this means he could very well be retiring before the Brazil Olympics in 2016.
"Well, the Man makes the plan. The answer - yes or no - comes from God. I hope I can finish well, that's all I can say. I mean, at that time, there was a lot of frustration, a lot of anger. My plantar fasciitis was just killing me. And when you're not able to perform the way you want, when your body won't allow you to perform, you start to think about retirement," Nene remarked regarding his issue.
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of connective tissues caused by constant heavy stress on one's feet, usually as a result of standing for an extended period of time.
Nene, whose role in the NBA forces him to constantly be on his feet running and jumping, suffers from "inflammation of the plantar fascia, the strands of connective tissue that run along the sole of the foot, linking the heel of the foot to the ball and toes."
Unfortunately, experts today are still debating on the best treatment for Plantar fasciitis. A few doctors would recommend using foot braces, undergoing physical therapy and receiving cortison injections as a combination to treat the disease. Other experts prefer surgery that would reduce the plantar fascia's tension but this method comes with a high risk of damaging the foot's nerves and increasing the levels of pain undergone by the patient.
For the past several decades, medical experts have been studying stem cells as a viable treatment for many kinds of diseases and disorders though it has not always been welcome. However, treatment via adult stem cell is now available for public consumption for such cases as restoring vision, supplying a new liver and even regrowing fingers and toes.
The same applies for Plantar fasciitis, which is now reportedly treatable using adult stem cells.
The latest treatment plan for Plantar fasciitis involves injecting the patient with adult stem cells extracted from bone marrow, amniotic material or fat. A few research journals recommend the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), describing it as the most effective stem cell treatment since it both reduces the pain and regenerates damaged tissue.
Aside from sports stars such as Nene, there are an estimated two million Americans who have Plantar fasciitis.
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