Relieving Plantar Fasciitis 👠👠👠

Relieving Plantar Fasciitis
How to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis with Massage and Stretching
You swing your feet over the side of the bed, stand up, and ouch!
What is that pain in your heel that’s got you holding one foot while hopping up and down on the other? You gingerly step down again and you can still feel it, a sharp, stabbing pain deep inside your foot.
A quick Google search offers a diagnosis: plantar fasciitis. You read that it’s inflammation of your plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes. When it’s under too much stress, it develops small tears and irritation. The pain usually goes away once you get up and moving, but according to the internet, ignoring plantar fasciitis can lead to chronic, debilitating pain and other foot, knee, hip, or back problems.
So what can you do to alleviate and prevent plantar fasciitis?
Get checked out
Sure, Dr. Internet is great. But you should have your primary care practitioner check you out or even a physical therapist at Vitality Physical Therapy in Elmhurst too. It’s wise to rule out any other health or structural issues that can cause foot pain.
Stretches
Plantar fasciitis is most common in runners and other athletes. If you run a lot, incorporating foot stretches into your normal warm up and wind down routines can help prevent the development of foot pain.
Even if you are not physically active, you may suffer from heel pain if you work on your feet all day, or if you tend to wear shoes with poor support. You can also benefit from doing foot stretches throughout the day.
Plantar fasciitis is felt most often first thing in the morning because the plantar fascia tends to tighten when you are at rest. If you’re suffering from heel pain, try these stretches in the morning before doing anything else:
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Flex your foot up and down 10 times before standing.
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Do toe stretches. With your foot extended in front of you as far as possible while still in reach, grasp and pull your big toe back toward your ankle. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat three times.
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Try towel stretches. Fold a towel lengthwise and put under the arch of your foot, holding both ends in your hands. Gently pull your foot towards you. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat three times.
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Finally, do a rolling massage. Sit on the edge of the bed or a chair and roll your foot back and forth over a cold bottle of water, can, or foam roller for one minute.