Plantar Fasciitis is a common complaint of individuals with foot pain. Most often people with this condition will report pain in their heel and/or arch. Frequently people report pain with walking, especially early in the day (right out of bed) or after a period of long sitting. This pain will tend to ease a bit after walking a little but if too much time on feet it will begin to feel worse again. The other common feature will be differing complaints based on footwear. Meaning the foot tends to be more sore if barefoot or in unsupportive shoes.

There are many different reasons why this condition develops but regardless, it is a treatable condition. If one is to search the internet, they are likely to find any number of suggestions, some of which may be helpful and others not. The reason for the lack of consistent help for any one item is…what is the cause of the problem? By understanding the cause, a better treatment plan can be selected. That said, there are some common features that tend to be more helpful than not.

#1 Tight calf muscles-  if the calf is tight increased stress/strain can translate into the arch thus creating pain. To address this problem – we want to stretch them the calf muscles

#2 Stiff big toe – this is more common than people think. If this joint is stiff then the foot is unable to roll off the ground as it should. The result is a walking pattern that puts increased strain in the arch of the foot. In this case, stretching of the big toe is indicated. Check this video out

#3 The muscles of the foot are not as strong as could be – surprisingly this is common enough and there are some easy to complete exercises for this See HERE and HERE

The above exercises are common ones helpful for plantar fasciitis. Other contributing factors to plantar fasciitis can benefit from specific hands on treatments. Hands-on treatment can improve joint stiffness of the ankle, foot, or toes. that a person is unable to be addressed on their own. Another option includes orthotics to support the other treatments involved. Orthotics though are not meant to be a magic bullet and are most effective when combined with other treatments.

Should you have further questions or concerns relative to plantar fasciitis fill out this Quick FORM to get some more personalized information to get you moving in the right direction again without foot pain.