Do you wake up in the morning and have pain right at the base of your heel and under the foot? If so you may be suffering from plantar fascitis.
What Is The Plantar Fascia?
The plantar fascia is a thick, flat fibrous tissue at the bottom of your foot that helps to support the arch and gives structure to your foot during weightbearing activities such as walking, running and jumping. It connects from your heel and fans out to your toes. If you place your foot flat on the floor and lift up your big toe you can feel the plantar fascia tighten.
What causes Plantar Fascitis?
Foot pain that is caused by a problem of the plantar fascia. As the name suggests with the suffix ‘itis’ which means ‘inflammation of’, it is inflammation of the the plantar fascia, however this is not only be the only cause.
Many actions and activities can cause stress and strain on the plantar fascia leading to micro tears. Here are a few:-
- wearing high heels
- running, dancing and high impact sports
- flat feet or high arches
- lack of mobility in the ankle and foot
- tight calves
Signs You May Have Plantar Fascitis
- Pain at the bottom of the heel where the plantar fascia inserts. The common pain is felt at the base of the heel, but can spread all across the entire plantar fascia.
- Pain on the first few steps in the morning or, after getting up from sitting for a prolonged period. As you are no longer weight bearing, the plantar fascia shortens, when you begin to take those first few steps it stretches the plantar fascia, causing pain at the insertion.
Tips to Help Plantar Fascitis
- Avoid walking barefoot – Invest in a good pair of slippers/shoes which supports the arch of the foot.
- Ice – Freeze a small 500ml bottle of water and roll it under your foot. This will not only help to reduce inflammation but also gently massage the bottom of your foot.
- Massage – Starting at the ball of your foot and working your way down to the heal for about 60 seconds, use your hand to gently massage to loosen up the plantar fascia. You can then progress to using a tennis or golf ball to gently massge the bottom of the foot Use the ball while sitting at your desk or at the end of your bed, to roll the ball underneath your foot while applying steady pressure (without causing sharp or intense pain) for about 10 seconds. This will help to and breaks down painful adhesions (improperly healed tears) on the plantar fascia ligament, increase blood flow to the area and helping the tissues to repair and relax the fascia. Foam rolling and massaging the calf can also be very benefical.
- Stretching – I personally don’t recommend stretching the plantar fascia until your pain levels has reduced to at least 3-4 out of 10, as this may aggregvate the tissues further. Once the pain level have reduced, I do advise patient to actively stretch their calves to help reduce any tension and strain through the heel into the plsntar fascia. Click here to see an easy stretch for your calves.
- Mobility of the Ankle – Restrictions in the ankle and/or foot joints can also be a predisposing factor to developing and maintaining plantar fascitis. The alphabet mobility exercise is a great one to mobilise those stiff joints.
If you have any further questions about foot pain or plantar fascia in particular, please contact me at www.winithomas.co.uk