Updated: Oct 30, 2019
Plantar Fasciitis is a common overuse injury to the bottom of your foot usually the culprit of heel pain. When irritated or symptomatic the thick band of tissue which runs from your toes to your heel will become inflamed. Symptoms include a stabbing pain under your foot or heel bone worst in the morning when taking your first few steps. Walking tends to reduce the pain but can reappear after sitting and then standing and taking a few steps. This injury is common in runners, people who are overweight, and people who wear shoes not supportive enough for their foot.
How to treat?
This condition is usually treated by performing an array of stretching and strengthening exercises. Before it becomes chronic try these few techniques.
Home techniques:
1. Single leg eccentric heel raises. On the affected side rest you big toe on to a slightly elevated surface, raise up on your toes, and for a count of 6 seconds slowly lower your heel off the step. Perform 20-30x and perform 3-5x a day.
2. Calf stretch: Standing on a step let one heel drop off the step to feel a stretch down the back of your calf.
3. Big toe stretch: Put your toes on the wall and bending that same leg lean towards the wall to feel a stretch under your foot.
4. Frozen water bottle: Roll your foot on a frozen water bottle while applying firm pressure through your foot.
5. It is important to make sure you are wearing supportive footwear.
6. Training your core and gluteal muscles properly will also help to reduce stress at the base of the foot and improve mechanics with standing and walking.
If not resolved with these few techniques, it may be best to visit your Physical Therapist. They can identify faulty mechanics in your walking/running gait and give specific exercises to correct imbalance and reduce stress on the foot which is contributing to plantar fasciitis pain. Also your PT may use a metal tool on your foot to improve the soft tissue mobility and help to re-align mm fibers to their original form.
Mayo Clinic, Plantar Fasciitis,
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-fasciitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354846