The plantar fascia is a dense strip of tissue that courses along the underside of the foot. Its primary role is to maintain proper alignment of the feet and provide essential support to the foot’s arch.
Regularly stretching the tissue in question is crucial for minimizing pain and inflammation. That’s why incorporating calf stretches and plantar fasciitis stretches into your routine can be highly beneficial. These specific exercises target the affected areas and contribute to alleviating discomfort and reducing inflammation.
Stretching
Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia, a band of tissue located on the bottom of the foot, becomes tightened, leading to inflammation and tiny tears. These tears result in discomfort when you rise from a resting position or after an extended period of being sedentary.
Stretching is good for getting your muscles flexible but should not be overdone. If your muscles start to hurt, back off the stretch until you feel no discomfort.
One study compared non-weight-bearing plantar fascia stretches with weight-bearing tendo Achilles stretches [15] (Tables 10 and 11). A significant reduction in pain “at its worst” and on “first steps in the morning” was reported in the group carrying out plantar fascia stretches.
Heterogeneity between stretch techniques and comparison groups made a meta-analysis impossible. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriately powered randomised controlled trials using validated outcome measures are conducted to determine whether stretching is more effective than alternative or control interventions for pain and function in the short-term management of plantar heel pain.
Warming up
Plantar fasciitis occurs when the thick band of connective tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot gets irritated. It usually happens due to putting extra pressure on your feet or standing for long periods of time.
If you want to avoid developing plantar fasciitis, avoid standing or running for long periods of time and wearing thin-soled shoes that don’t support your feet properly. Instead, wear supportive shoes that are designed for the purpose.
Warming up before you exercise is one of the best ways to ensure that your body doesn’t get injured and your muscles are ready for your workout. A warm up prepares your heart rate and breathing to increase, increases blood flow to your muscles, and makes your muscles loose and supple.
A good warm up involves a number of different exercises that mimic the exercises you will be doing during your workout. These can include lunges, squats, jumping jacks, jump rope, yoga, torso twists, and more.
Exercises
Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain, but it often resolves on its own with some simple treatments. One of these is stretching exercises for the foot and ankle.
Stretching helps the plantar fascia to heal, which may reduce the risk of developing plantar fasciitis again in the future. But stretches should be done slowly and gently, and you should stop when you feel any pain.
Several simple stretches are easy to do at home and can be performed in a variety of positions, such as lying on your back or sitting in a chair.
Toe extension is a stretch that targets the foot and ankle and can be performed in any position. Simply hold each toe in place and pull it toward the other toe until a stretch is felt in the toe.
This exercise is best done without shoes. Instead, place a ball on the floor, and roll it back and forth with the arch of the foot. This can be done for three to five minutes twice a day.
Medicines
Some people with plantar fasciitis take medication to reduce their symptoms. These medications, called anti-inflammatory drugs, can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription, or with a doctor’s order.
Your doctor will likely recommend a short course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, to treat your pain. The NSAIDs help to reduce the inflammation in your feet, which can ease the pain and stiffness that comes with plantar fasciitis.
Another medicine that your doctor may suggest is corticosteroid injections, which are made by injecting steroids into your feet. These steroids will reduce the inflammation and pain that comes with plantar fasciitis, and they can also speed up healing of the ligament.
In some people, surgery can be an option to remove the damaged part of the plantar fascia ligament. This can be done by an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist. However, surgery usually only helps when the condition has not responded to other treatments. Other medicines that your doctor may recommend include a platelet-rich plasma injection, which is made by injecting a substance into the plantar fascia to stimulate healing.
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