Your ankles and feet carry a heavy burden. As they get older, the tissues and ligaments in their ankles can change, which can cause pain and alter the forces on their bodies.

There are many reasons why you might get injured feet. It could be from an old injury, poor fitting shoes, or both. It can affect your mobility and strength.

Before you do anything to treat or relief your Plantar Fasciitis pain, it is highly recommended to buy a pair of shoes designed specifically for people with Plantar Fasciitis. It is best to know which shoe brands make best shoes for Plantar Fasciitis before you purchase.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the heel pain feels like it’s spreading across the bottom of the foot. It usually appears during the start of a running season.

The plantar fascia is a thick tissue that’s connected to the heel by a ball of your foot. It can be damaged by improper foot positioning.

Plantar fasciitis is a chronic pain that can last for months. It can make activities impossible and is often considered a medical condition. If it is caused by a heel peel, a plan can help you recover faster.

Certain people are more prone to plantar fasciitis than others. This is commonly a problem among some of these people:

• Runners
• Dancers
• People who stand on a hard surfaces all day: teachers, retail workers, factory workers, etc.
• People with very flat feet or very high arches
• People who are overweight
• Women are more prone than men
• People between 40 and 60

While this term may sound scary, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have an incurable issue. In most cases, Plantar Fasciitis can go away on its own. If you have a moderate case of it, it might be time to try some home remedies to help loosen up those muscles and relieve your heel pain.

If you’re suffering from severe Plantar Fasciitis that has you disable to any degree, your best option to go see a podiatrist and possibly get a prescription and treatment plan that can help.

If you’re like the majority of people who have more moderate Plantar Fasciitis, there are plenty of home remedies like cold therapy to alleviate the inflammation immediately and heal up at home.

Stretches for Plantar Fasciitis

Towel Stretch: Do this before getting out of bed to reduce morning foot pain. Sit on a bed or on the floor. Extend your affected leg straight out in front of you. Put a rolled towel around your foot and gently pull the towel towards yourself. You should feel a stretch in your calf muscle. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Toe Stretch: Sit in a chair. Extend your affected leg out until the heel of your foot is planted on the floor. Reach down and grab your toes with one hand. Pull your toes back towards your face. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Standing Calf Stretch: Stand facing a wall. Place both hands on the wall at eye level. Put your affected leg a step behind your other leg. Make sure your back leg is straight with its heel on the floor. Bend your front knee and lean forward until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Calf Stretch on A Step: This stretches both your calf muscle and your plantar fascia. Stand on a step. Place the ball of your affected foot on the edge of the step so that the heel of that foot hangs out beyond the edge of the step. Lower the heel of your affected foot down below the edge of the step until you feel a stretch across the bottom of your feet and in your calf muscle. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis

Towel Stretch: Do this before getting out of bed to reduce morning foot pain. Sit on a bed or on the floor. Extend your affected leg straight out in front of you. Put a rolled towel around your foot and gently pull the towel towards yourself. You should feel a stretch in your calf muscle. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Toe Stretch: Sit in a chair. Extend your affected leg out until the heel of your foot is planted on the floor. Reach down and grab your toes with one hand. Pull your toes back towards your face. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Standing Calf Stretch: Stand facing a wall. Place both hands on the wall at eye level. Put your affected leg a step behind your other leg. Make sure your back leg is straight with its heel on the floor. Bend your front knee and lean forward until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Calf Stretch on A Step: This stretches both your calf muscle and your plantar fascia. Stand on a step. Place the ball of your affected foot on the edge of the step so that the heel of that foot hangs out beyond the edge of the step. Lower the heel of your affected foot down below the edge of the step until you feel a stretch across the bottom of your feet and in your calf muscle. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 to 4 times. This is 1 set. Do 2 to 4 sets each day.

Massages for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common heel and foot pain condition that can be treated through home massages. Deep tissue massage is a technique that can help lower heel pain caused by plantar fascia. This treatment helps nourish the tissues and joints in the heel, and it can relax them back to their normal positions.

If done properly, you may feel a little soreness the next day, but it is a great way to reduce inflammation and help your plantar fascia to heal properly. Focus on the most painful area, and give a little attention to the surrounding muscles.

The best way to massage away your plantar fasciitis is of course a foot massage. However, there are multiple types of techniques that can help you ease the pain and tension in your feet. Let’s take a look at some of the common foot massages that may help you:

Ball Massage: Sit in a chair. Put a tennis or golf ball under the arch of your affected foot. Lean forward to put pressure on the ball. Slowly roll the ball up and down your foot. Then roll it side to side. Gradually increase the pressure on the ball as you roll it. Roll ball for about 1 minute.

Ice Massage: Similar to ball massage but it is done with a frozen bottle of water instead of a ball. Sit in a chair. Slowly roll a frozen bottle of water up and down your affected foot. Then roll it left and right. Do this for 5 minutes.

Calf Massage: Sit in a chair. Cross your affected leg over the top of your other leg. Use both of your hands to squeeze and knead the calf muscle of your affected leg. Work up and down your leg. Knead for 5 minutes.

The Push & Pull Technique: This one is pretty self-explanatory. First, push in with your thumb on the affected area in short strokes. You can do this for a couple of minutes before moving onto the pulling movements.

To “pull” apply pressure from the inside of the foot to the outside of the foot, all across both feet. This will help to ease the inflammation within your muscles and ligaments.

Toe Massage:  Do the same movements you did with the push & pull technique, but also stretch your toes backward towards your shins. This helps to stretch the plantar fascia across the foot. This is a good exercise to do even if you aren’t suffering from Plantar Fasciitis pains at the moment.

It can help to increase the strength and flexibility of the plantar fascia, making it more resistant to injury.

Tens Unit: You can crank up a nice electric massage with a TENS unit. Follow the instructions on your unit, and use it on the afflicted area for 10-15 minutes to help loosen your muscles and get some pain relief.

There are no harmful effects associated with using an electrical foot massager. However, it is still advised to use it properly and avoid inducing labor. One of the most effective ways to relieve foot pain is by applying a foot massage. This natural treatment works by stimulating circulation and relieving tension.

Foam Roller: Using a foam roller is a really simple but effective way to massage your legs and feet.

All you have to do is roll it up and down the backs of your calves, and the bottoms of your feet for a few minutes to help relax all the muscles and ease tension. Foam rollers also help to encourage blood flow through your muscles.

If resting, icing, stretches, exercises, and massages do not help, you can consider the option to visit a doctor. or can prescribe other treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections.

Rest (Most Effective)

As more than 90% of Plantar Fasciitis does recover by itself naturally and it could take up to approximately 6 months, probably the most effective thing you can do for your plantar fascia is to let it rest.

It’s inevitable to have to go to work but take a longer break from outdoor activities such as sports & recreation. If you must work out, you can go swimming at the pool (Not at the beach because it requires a long walk on the sand).

To fully heal these small tears and reduce the inflammation, your feet need to rest. If you can’t rest completely, at least try to avoid activities that will further irritate your condition such as vigorous walking and running.