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Plantar fasciitis is usually associated with a sudden change in activity or overuse in an active population. A part of the solution is to temporarily ease off of activity. Weight gain mostly contributes to plantar fasciitis in more sedentary populations. The solution for this is a weight-loss plan.
However, tight muscles around your foot, poor arch support, or previous foot injuries can predispose you to plantar fasciitis even if you are sedentary or active. You can get rid of your discomfort using some very advanced and interesting treatments. You can also prevent and possibly reverse plantar fasciitis at home using some simple and even free things.
The Orthotic Shop share some techniques you can try at home
Calf Stretching in Bed
The worst steps of the day are usually the first few steps when you wake up in the morning. Your condition can get reaggravated by the first few steps you take in the morning. This can put you into a cycle of pain and inflammation.
The Orthotic Shop recommends stretching your calf before you take the first few steps in the morning as the best way for breaking that cycle. The muscles in your calf pull on the heel bone when they are tight, so they can make your plantar fascia prone to injury and very taut.
Use a belt or towel to loosen those muscles. How? Loop a belt or towel around the ball of your foot. Keep your leg straight as you gently pull it towards your body. Pull the leg until you feel a stretch in your leg’s lower part.
Hold that position for 30 seconds and repeat it 5 times before you take your first step in the morning.
Plantar Fascia Stretching
It makes sense to loosen up the irritated tissues. However, you might not know how to loosen up the tissues. Fortunately, there is a simple way. Here is how to do it: use your hand to pull your toes until you feel stretching along the ball of your foot. It is possible to feel the stretch from your foot’s ball to your heel. You can make a huge difference in your pain levels if you hold this position for 30 seconds.
Calf Stretching
A vital step to your recovery is to stretch out the muscles in your lower leg, even though it may seem like overkill. We will work on stretching out the two main muscles in your lower leg. These muscles attach to your heel.
Standing against a wall, slide one leg back, and push your heel down towards the floor. Hold for 30 seconds when you feel a stretch in your leg’s lower part.
Bend your knees until you feel a deeper stretch a bit lower in your leg after the 30 seconds are up. Also, hold that stretch for 30 seconds. You have to do this 3 times on each leg, so repeat it 3 times.
Massage
Everyone loves a good massage. You can even pay a professional to rub out the muscles in the lower part of your leg. However, the humble tennis ball is a cheaper alternative to paying someone to rub out your muscles. The Orthotic Shop share how to use this simple tool to relieve your symptoms.
Place a tennis ball on the ground. To loosen up your plantar fascia, gently roll the tennis ball under your foot for a few minutes. Rolling the ball under your foot makes it difficult for your foot to become irritated. You can get a deep massage by putting enough pressure on the ball. You might feel some soreness. If you feel any pain, you need to back off it.
Ice Massage
It is possible to use a tennis ball to keep things loose. The Orthotic Shop suggests using ice to control inflammation, so you can also do some icing at the same time. The best way for keeping inflammation in check while you stay loose is to freeze a water bottle and roll it under your foot for around 10 minutes. You should do this at the end of the day. This is much better than anything else, even though it might be uncomfortable to do it.
