Foot pain and stiffness, could it be Plantar Fasciitis?
Signs & Symptoms
- Pain/tenderness on and under the heel and arch of the foot areas
- Pain worse first thing in the morning until the muscles warm & free
- Tenderness & Pain on the heel
- If untreated the pain experienced first thing in the morning will worsen and become prolonged
- Foot pain or high-arched feet may cause a gait change, which can cause additional pain.
Causes
- Running, dancing or jumping
- Very tight calf muscles
- Hi or low arches
- Being overweight
- Footwear that does not provide arch support
What can you do?
Anti-inflammatory gels or tablets may help somewhat, however, in my experience, the fastest way to recover is a bespoke foot / lower leg massage with targeted stretches. In my practice, immediate results are seen, pain is reduced and you are on the way to recovery after 1 session.
Book your bespoke foot/ lower leg massage to deal with foot pain & Plantar Fasciitis below:
For a 45 min treatment CLICK HERE TO BOOK
For a 60 min treatment CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Recover from Plantar Fasciitis
After sleeping or resting your plantar fascia tighten and shorten. Hence the dreadful pain with your first steps out of bed. The exercise below helps make the plantar fascia more supple and flexible by stretching the muscles on the sole of the foot whilst giving a gentle massage effect. It should be done immediately after waking up.
- Sit barefoot on a chair or the edge of your bed and place a golf ball, tennis ball, or rolling pin under the foot.
- Whilst seated roll the ball with the arch of the foot back and forth from your heel to the toes, for 30-40 seconds and apply as much pressure as you can without causing more pain.
- If this feels okay, you can take the exercise further by doing this exercise while you are standing up, making the exercise a lot stronger.
- Keep doing this for about 4 minutes.
Prevent Plantar Fasciitis
Regular Massage
A regular massage with a seasoned professional will keep your muscles flexible and strong which will help you prevent injury, reach new targets and improve your personal bests. Don’t wait until you have an injury… an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Warm-up properly
This means not only stretching prior to a given athletic event but a gradual rather than sudden increase in volume and intensity over the course of the training season. A frequent cause of plantar fasciitis is a sudden increase of activity without suitable preparation.
Avoid activities that cause pain
Running on steep terrain, excessively hard or soft ground, etc can cause unnatural biomechanical strain to the foot, resulting in pain. This is generally a sign of stress leading to injury and should be curtailed or discontinued.
Shoes & arch support
Athletic demands placed on the feet, particularly during running events, are extreme. Injury results when your feet are inflexible, tight or weak. Switch to Barefoot shoes which are light and flexible. Regular Foot exercises/ Stretches will greatly reduce the chance of suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.
Rest and rehabilitation
Probably the most important curative therapy for cases of plantar fasciitis is thorough rest. The injured athlete must be prepared to wait out the necessary healing phase, avoiding the temptation to return prematurely to athletic activity.
Strengthening exercises
Below are two simple strength exercises to help condition the muscles, tendons and joints around the foot and ankle.
Plantar Rolling: Place a small tennis ball under the arch of the affected foot. Slowly move the foot back and forth allowing the tennis ball to roll around under the arch. This activity will help to stretch, strengthen and massage the affected area.
Toe Walking: Stand upright in bare feet and rise up onto the toes and front of the foot. Balance in this position and walk forward in slow, small steps. Maintain an upright, balanced posture, staying as high as possible with each step. Complete three sets of the exercise, with a short break in between sets, for a total of 20 meters.
I can help you!
My sports massage studio is in Truro:
The Old Bakery Studios
Blewett’s Wharf (just past Radio Cornwall)
Truro.
Book your bespoke foot/ lower leg massage to deal with foot pain & Plantar Fasciitis below:
For a 45 min treatment CLICK HERE TO BOOK
For a 60 min treatment CLICK HERE TO BOOK
