Quick start guide to plantar fasciitis repair - 5 short exercises
Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the sole of the foot that is mostly centred over and just in front of the of the heel bone.
Daily exercises are necessary
Strength exercises, together with stretching and massage work well. Expect 8 to 16 weeks of targeted daily exercises to relieve the condition.
Plantar fasciitis in detail
Planter fasciitis plantar fasciitis is an unrelenting, painful tightness in the connective tissue and usually also the muscles running from the ball of the big toe to the underside of the centre of the heel bone. Plantar fasciitis is caused by tissue overload whereby certain structures of last resort take all the load of standing and running. The condition can thus be likened to a truck constantly bottoming out on its springs. This is why strong foot and toe muscles are necessary for plantar fasciitis rehab.
Where’s the pain
Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the sole of the foot that is mostly centred over and just in front of the underside of the heel bone.
Picture:
pain locations of plantar fasciitis
Prevalence and at risk groups
Plantar fasciitis is the most common foot condition of older working-class folk and is common from 45 years of age onward, occurring in up to 25% of those who must stand in one place at work. Approximately 10% of the population may suffer plantar fasciitis as they age. Distance runners are also prone to the condition, especially when they ramp up their miles or do speed work. In the elderly, the cause is weakness of the muscles of the feet toes and buttocks. In the distance runner the cause will also be due to muscle weakness but can also be due to muscle imbalances in the foot and asymmetries throughout the body.
High foot arch or low?
Plantar fasciitis can occur with a low foot arch or high. If the arch is low, all the above muscles must be strengthened. If the arch is high, all muscles need strengthened but the emphasis of strength work may require shifting toward strength in the small toes and the pinkie toe side of the foot.
The plantar fascia looks like a tendon…
Just under the skin of the sole of the foot, a tendon-like band called the plantar fascia becomes overloaded, painful, and thickened from its normal healthy 3 millimetres thick to six millimetres or more.
In plantar fasciitis, the big toe side of the plantar fascia is often the more irritated. Muscles and ligaments above the plantar fascia are often overloaded and irritated too. For example, the short toe flexor muscles, the long planter ligament and the short plantar ligament - also the heel fat pad - can all cause pain over the sole of the heel or just in front of it.
Pictured below
The plantar fascia is a tendon-like band that runs from the heel bone's centre to the five balls of the toes and beyond. The plantar fascia looks like a five-pronged fork. At each ball of the toe, the prong splits into two and inserts either side of the proximal phalange (or first bone) of each toe.
Pictured below
The ligaments of the sole of the foot. In this picture, the longest “ligament” is labelled plantar aponeurosis, an alternative name for the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is just one structure that can become overloaded in the condition called plantar fasciitis. The plantar ligaments and short digital flexor (toe curling) muscles are often overloaded and contribute to the condition. Whichever structures are involved the pain and damage tend to be towards the big toe side of the centre of the heel. Not shown here: the short toe flexor muscles (and other muscles – there are five layers in total). These muscles are located between the plantar aponeurosis and the plantar ligaments.
Pictured below
The short digital flexor muscles of the foot. These muscles perform the same arch-shortening job that the plantar fascia performs. In plantar fasciitis these and other sole of foot muscles must be strengthened with “short foot” and “toe-curl” exercises.
Plantar fasciitis fixes
All these structures can be supported with the help of padded insoles and arch supports, and will benefit from night splints that stretch the sole-of-foot issues while you sleep.
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This Vive night support splint with massage ball and toe wedges gets a four star review at Amazon.com
Running program modifications
If you are a runner, you should run less, walk or jog barefoot on grass, and walk up and down hills. Biking and bicycle spin classes are excellent options for runners. Often not considered by runners is that during cycling you can practice curling your toes and shortening your foot (intrinsic foot and toe exercises). So cycling is not just a rest from plantar fasciitis. It is also a great time to do your plantar fasciitis strength and recovery exercises!
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In spin class, you can curl your toes and shorten your foot. These intrinsic foot muscle exercises will speed your plantar fasciitis recovery, making spin classes and bike workouts an excellent option for athletes with plantar fasciitis.
Daily exercises are necessary
Strength exercises, together with stretching and massage work well. Expect 8 to 16 weeks of targeted daily exercises to relieve the condition. Some suggested exercises are in the video at the top of this page.
Time to recovery
On rare occasions, time to recover may take two years. Slow responders may require further assessment and even surgery. This is why it is good to take early professional advice.