5 Ways To Help Plantar Fasciitis

Have you ever had pain in the arch of your foot? Are you getting pain in the heel when standing all day? Well you may have plantar fasciitis. This is inflammation of the thick connective tissue that runs along the arch of the foot, from your toes to your heel. With prolonged misuse, this tissue can develop small tears and become inflamed and lead to chronic heel pain.

It occurs mainly in runners who increase their mileage too quickly or start running on hard surfaces. Although it can affect others especially those who spend all day on the balls of their feet and using their calf muscles. If the calf and Achilles are not stretched regularly, it can put excessive strain on the plantar fascia. It is important to change your footwear during the week and avoid wearing the same shoes all week. This will stiffen up the ankle joint and cause more issues further down the line. Other athletes involved in sports that require repetitive jumping also have a high risk of developing this injury. 

5 ways to help plantar fasciitis

1. Take a break from running and jumping. Put your feet and relax! Rest is crucial for recovery of this injury. 
2. Get some sports massage on the calf muscles and plantar fascia. Use a foam roller on the calves and a trigger point ball on the plantar fascia. Do each muscle 30 seconds at a time and do 3 times a day. Be careful not to overdo it on the pressure though as it will be very painful to begin with. 
3. Ice will help reduce inflammation and decrease your pain. Use it when you are at home and relaxing, try keeping the foot up too. 
4. Stretching your calf and Achilles against a wall and on a step will help relieve tension. Stretching your big toe on the wall and then going into a calf stretch will also help relieve some tension in the plantar fascia. 
5. Consider buying a new pair of shoes that feel COMFORTABLE! Wearing the same shoes all the time is not great for your feet. Also when buying a pair of running shoes, avoid going for the pair of shoes that are for your foot type. Go with a pair that feel comfortable to run in. You will need to go to a shop where you can try a few pairs on and give them a try on their running machine. 

Plantar Fascia Rolling

Calf Foam Rolling

Would you like to feel pain free and comfortable? Want to get back to what you were doing before you had heel pain? Book your HALF PRICE injury consultation here - https://sportscorrectivetherapy.co.uk/contact-us/