Try seated and standing exercises like heel raises to help lengthen and strengthen the muscles that support your plantar fascia.
Plantar fasciitis can be a real pain in the kicker.
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You can over-stress the thick band of tissue that runs from your heel to your toe on the bottom of your foot (plantar fascia) — either from being on your feet all day or from over-use and exercise. When this happens, it can get in the way of almost anything.
Fortunately, podiatrist Samantha Figas, DPM, recommends a number of stretches and exercises you can do at home to help relieve some of that tension.
There are several stretches and exercises you can use during your daily routine to help relieve plantar fasciitis alongside other treatments like NSAIDs and rest.
“Stretching is the most important treatment for plantar fasciitis because it helps make the tissues more flexible, lowers tension and eases pain,” says Dr. Figas.
Many people with plantar fasciitis also have tight calf muscles. They connect to your Achilles tendon, which wraps around your heel and connects with the plantar fascia at the bottom of your foot. This means a tight calf can make your plantar fascia tight, too.
Dr. Figas recommends stretching for at least 10 minutes a day when treating plantar fasciitis. It can take several months for the pain to fully go away and it could come back. So, it’s important to keep stretching even after you feel better.
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Here’s five plantar fasciitis stretches and exercises to try:
This stretch helps loosen tight muscles and stretch the connective tissue in your back and legs to better support your feet.
For a deeper stretch focused on your plantar fascia, try the following.
Try this massage to relieve muscle tension in your feet while sitting at your desk or kitchen table. It can be done a few times a day. You’ll need a rollable object, like a frozen water bottle, golf ball or tennis ball. The frozen water bottle, specifically, can also help treat inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis.
This deep stretch focuses on the back of your legs.
This stretch helps relieve tension in your calf and Achilles tendon, which helps relieve some of the pain associated with plantar fasciitis.
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Remember, it’s important to follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for treating plantar fasciitis. But if you’ve dealt with this sort of pain before, or you’re planning to go on a long walk or hike where your feet may be further affected, these stretches and exercises can help prevent or reduce plantar fasciitis pain in the future.
“Plantar fasciitis is considered an overuse injury. You’ll often have to modify your activities in order to allow this condition to heal,” says Dr. Figas. “Avoiding high impact activities like running, jumping, or jogging can assist with healing. You can also continue low impact activities like walking, biking or swimming as long as this doesn’t aggravate your symptoms.”
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