You hop out of bed to take on the day only to hobble with your first steps as your plantar fasciitis flares up. Granted, the pain subsides after a minute or two as your tissue stretches out, but wouldn’t it be nice not to deal with pain first thing in the morning?
The team at Neuhaus Foot and Ankle certainly feels this way, which is why we’ve pulled together a few exercises that go a long way toward relieving the pain that stems from plantar fasciitis.
Everything in your body is somehow connected, which is certainly true of the structures in your feet. Tight calves are one of the primary culprits behind plantar fasciitis as your muscles pull on the tough bands of tissue — your plantar fascia — that run along the bottoms of your feet.
One of the best ways to tackle plantar fasciitis pain is to stretch out your calves. To do this, place your hands against a wall with your feet a few feet behind you so that your body creates an angle with the wall. Place one foot forward and one foot back and slowly raise and lower the heel on the foot that's farthest from the wall.
Another great remedy for plantar fasciitis pain is to roll a ball under your feet for several minutes each day. Start by sitting in a chair and place a tennis ball (or even a can) under each foot and roll it around, covering the entire sole of your foot, from your heels to the balls of your toes.
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out ahead of you and wrap a towel around the arch of your foot. Then pull back gently so that your toes move toward your shinbone. Hold this for 10 seconds and then point your toes forward and hold again. This exercise directly stretches your plantar fascia, as well as your calves.
Using the same towel, drop it on the floor, and use your toes to scrunch the fabric. Repeat this exercise several times for each foot. You can also accomplish the same stretching and strengthening in your feet by trying to use your toes to pick up a small object and holding it.
While not necessarily an exercise, the reason behind your plantar fasciitis pain is that your connective tissue is both tight and inflamed. To relieve both, it’s a good idea to gently massage the bottoms of your feet in the morning to loosen up the tissue and get the blood flowing. While you’re massaging your soles, you can also gently pull your big toe back for further stretching.
If you have more questions about managing your plantar fasciitis, please contact one of our locations in Hermitage, Brentwood, Nashville, Mount Juliet, Waverly, Gallatin, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, and Lebanon, Tennessee, to set up an appointment.
