Plantar fasciitis is one of the most painful foot conditions I’ve ever had, and is almost as painful as the time I had a metatarsal stress fracture in my foot.
Plantar fasciitis gives you pain for almost every foot movement, like getting out of bed or even just walking. Here are some simple techniques you can try, to try and help soothe your pain and symptoms.
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis Pain
Plantar fasciitis happens with the plantar fascia (a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot) becomes irritated or inflamed. You typically feel it as as a sharp heel pain, especially with your first steps in the morning, or after long periods of rest.
The most common causes of plantar fasciitis are repeated stress and overuse. Any activities that load your foot, like running, long standing or sudden increases in activity strain the plantar fascia and lead to small tears and pain.
Your foot structure and mechanics also matter. If you have flat feet (like me), high arches, tight calf muscles or an “abnormal” gait, they can all place extra tension on your plantar fascia.
Your age and weight can also play a role, with the condition being more common in middle-age people and those with a higher body weight, as the fascia bears more load and weakens over time.
Simple Stretches That Ease Tension In The Foot
Stretches can really help to ease the tension in your foot. Starting with a calf stretch, with you facing a wall, placing one of your feet back, keeping the heel down as you lean forward. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, and repeat 2-3 times, as tighter calves often pull on the plantar fascia.
You can try the towel stretch when you’re sat down. Loop a towel around the ball of your foot, and gently pull your toes towards you, doing it for 20-30 seconds, 2-3 times on each foot, to loosen the plantar fascia and your Achilles.
Try the plantar fascia stretch for some instant relief. Make sure you’re sat down, and cross one ankle over the opposite knee, and pull your toes back until you feel a stretch along the arch of your foot. Hold it for 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat a couple of times during the day.
One of my personal favorites was rolling your foot over a frozen water bottle on the floor.
Applying a gentle pressure, and rolling your foot back and forth for 1-2 minutes per foot, to reduce the pain and inflammation. It combines mild massage with cold therapy, and it gives such an instant relief.
Calf Mobility And Its Impact On Heel Pain
If you have tight calves, they pull on your Achilles tendon, and change your foot’s mechanics. The extra pull increases stress on the plantar fascia, and it can make any heel pain worse.
Work on both your “gastrocnemius” and the “soleus” with simple stretches. Doing a straight-leg calf stretch targets the gastrocnemius – doing a bent-knee soleus stretch reaches the deeper muscle. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, repeating 2 to 3 times.
Like most muscles, strengthening helps too. Doing calf raises helps to build tolerance in the calf-Achilles unit, and improves how force passes through your foot. Start with some double-leg raises, and progress to some single-leg raises, if you can.
Massage Techniques That Relieve Tight Fascia
Massage was truly the key to my plantar fasciitis recovery. Start by doing some gentle self-massage to warm the tissue in your foot. Sit comfortably, and cross your ankle over your opposite knee, using your thumbs to press along your arch, moving slowly from your heel towards your toes, helping to break up adhesions and ease the tight fascia.
You can place a tennis ball or small massage ball (that typically has rubber spikes all over) on the floor, and roll the ball under your foot for 1 to 2 minutes, pausing on any painful areas. This “myofascial” release can reduce your heel pain and also increase the blood flor, helping to reduce inflammation.
After rolling, press firming with your thumb into any knots for 10 to 20 seconds, then release, repeating this 3 to 5 times, to loosen tight bands and improve your mobility.
When you massage first, to loosen tissue, apply a cold pack to your heel for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce inflammation.
I know it’s tedious, but you have to be consistent with the massaging to get relief. It genuinely took me 12 weeks to finally get relief, so it is definitely worth the effort, and to now be able to wear whichever shoes I want, without worrying about wincing in pain with every step.
Hi, my name is Gemma, and I’m the owner of MakeupMuddle.com. I’m a true beauty obsessive, and love writing about anything to do with beauty – I have been a beauty writer since 2012.