Six Major Steps to
Treat Plantar
Fasciitis
Below is the regiment I used to treat plantar
fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most difficult injuries to
deal with. It takes longer than most other injuries to get rid of. It is
can also be one of the most painful if severe enough. And if not
painful, just very annoying. Take note that this regiment takes
patience, as it is long and requires a strict application of various
treatments, devices, and exercises.
Ice. Plantar fasciitis involves the irritation, swelling, and
inflammation of the plantar fascia. In extreme cases, there are slight
tears in the plantar fascia. To bring the swelling and inflammation
down, you'll need to apply ice to the injury. Ice your plantar fascia
down 10-15 minutes after your runs, and another 10-15 minutes at night.
I recommend that you freeze water in 20 oz bottles and roll your feet
over them. An extra step you can take is to take some ibuprofen every
now and then to further help bring down the inflammation and swelling.
Massage. A lot of scar tissue develops when plantar fasciitis
occurs, along with other dead cells and waste products. The build up of
scar tissue and waste can greatly slow down the healing process. To
better treat plantar fasciitis and help speed up the healing process,
massage the bottom of your feet for 10-15 minutes when you wake up, and
1-2 hours after your run. You can do this by hand, or use something like
the Footlog, which is a cylinder lined with massaging studs that you
roll back and forth across the bottom of your feet.
Get a night splint. The main reason why plantar fasciitis is so
hard to get rid of has something to do with what happens in our sleep.
When we sleep, our connective tissue becomes stiff and cold due to
reduced blood flow. When a runner already has, or is coming down with
plantar fasciitis, this process sets up the plantar fascia for further
irritation when he takes those first steps in the morning. The plantar
fascia has contracted to that stiff, rigid state and the force of the
foot planting on the ground stretches it too far and fast, causing
injury. A plantar fasciitis night splint will gently keep the plantar
fascia stretched while you sleep so that when you take those first steps
it will be flexible and limber enough to keep itself from getting
injured when taking those first steps.
Rest. One of the best ways to treat plantar fasciitis is to take
some time off of running. The plantar fascia is a very resilient and
strong piece of connective tissue that is able to resist a tremenedous
amount of stress day in and day out. However, when it gets injured it
can require long recovery periods and regimented treatments. This is due
to the fact that no matter if we have plantar fasciitis or not, most of
us have to use our feet everyday to fulfill our daily responsibilities.
As we stand and walk about throughout the day, the force of our own body
weight is concentrated on our feet with each and every step. Now,
Imagine the extra amount of stress that you put on your feet when
running, after or even before a full day of the daily grind. I've made
the mistake of trying "to deal with" plantar fasciitis, and I paid
dearly with a tear big enough that it took me out of running for nearly
three months.
Wear supportive insoles. Plantar fasciitis is the result of over
stretching the plantar fascia ligament to the point of tear. Support
insoles are devices that are slipped into shoes and line the bottom of
the foot. They are made of various materials, such as foam, gel,
polyurethane, graphite, and thermoplastics. These materials are built up
more in the sections where the foot's heel or midfoot would be,
preventing the arch from falling too much and plantar fascia from over
stretching. Most people will be fine with over the counter insoles.
However, some people need to visit a podiatrist and get specially made
orthotics because their feet may be so unique that they need a
customized support system.
Do plantar fascia stretches. This is the rehabilitative phase to
treat plantar fasciitis, meaning that I recommend that you first take
some off time from running to let the swelling and pain have subsided
before you begin this phase. The first exercise you should do is a
calf-Achilles stretch, in which you face a wall at a good distance with
feet together. Lean forward against the wall until you feel a good
stretch in your calves and Achilles tendons. You should also feel a
slight stretch under your feet. Hold for 10-15 seconds. In the second
exercise, sit on the floor with legs together and stretched out in front
of you. With no help from your hands, flex your toes towards you and
hold for 10-15 seconds. In the third exercise, sit in a chair and roll
the bottom of your feet back and forth atop a tennis ball for a minute.
Rotate between each one of these for 15 minutes every other day and you
will effectively keep your plantar fascia strong, supple, and limber.
You will also balance out the strength between your calves and the
muscles that lie on the opposite side of the tibia (lower leg).
More Running Injury Prevention Links
How to Prevent Running Injuries
How to Prevent Running Shin Splints
How to Treat
Plantar Fasciitis
How to Prevent and
Treat IT Band Injury
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