What To Do for Plantar Fasciitis
December 12, 2013
Plantar Fasciitis is a stress to the plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot. The purpose of the plantar fascia is to provide stability to your arch when you walk. Plantar Fasciitis can occur for a number of reasons such as misalignment or strength deficits of the foot or lower extremity. Tight claves or weakness in the hips on one particular side can create compensations that can contribute to this condition. Some other factors include improper footwear or arch support, errors in training, or sudden weight gain. Pain is first experienced with that first step in the morning when getting out of bed. Pain is usually sharp and felt on the bottom of the foot in front of the inner part of the heel. The pain can be alleviated following walking a few steps in the morning after getting out of bed.
Helpful Tips to Do at Home:
1) Pump your ankle 30 times before that first step out of bed in the morning.
This helps to alleviate the pain of that first painful step in the morning.
2) Foam rolling and Stretching
It is important that you foam roll both your calves and the front of your shins. You should also foam roll your quads, hamstrings, and hips. After foam
rolling, perform a wall stretch where you bring your affected heel as close to the wall as possible and lean against the wall for 30 seconds. Repeat this stretch 3 times twice a day.
3) Rolling over Ice
Freeze a water bottle and roll it back and forth with your foot with your arch on top for 10 minutes while you’re sitting down.
4) Towel Crunches
This exercise helps to strengthen the smaller muscles in your foot including your arch. While sitting, try to pick up a laid out hand towel from the floor with your toes and the arch of your foot. Repeat this exercise 20 times 3 times a day.
5) Try an arch support
Go to your local drug store and buy a commercial arch support to provide relief to the plantar fascia.
For proper treatment of Plantar Fasciitis, it is important to get an evaluation from either a podiatrist or physical therapist to determine the cause of the symptoms. Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis can be addressed in a number of phases. The first phase is to reduce the pain and modify activity accordingly. Your healthcare provider will most likely limit your weight-bearing activity and then gradually increase your activity once the pain has been significantly reduced. The next phase is to address the biomechanical factors that contributed to the pain, such as increasing ROM and strength, as well as a shoe modification if necessary.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at [email protected] or 212-362-4742.