Plantar Fasciitis is a fancy name for heel pain. The Plantar fascia is a ligament that connects your heel bone to your toes. As you can imagine, this ligament runs along the underside of your foot and supports the arch of your foot. When the Plantar fascia gets weak or swollen, you will find that your heel and/or the bottom of your foot will start to hurt as you walk. This condition is called Plantar Fasciitis.
Coping with this kind of a pain on a daily basis can be difficult. This is simply because you can’t avoid walking. You can avoid it a little but at some point or the other, you have to get up and walk. That is when you will find the pain a bit too excruciating. So what can you do to help resolve this?
Stretch
The first few steps that you take are probably the most painful. This is because your ligament was resting and you have suddenly put the entire weight of your body on it. It is bound to revolt. A good way to reduce the pain is to stretch your calf before setting your foot on to the floor. Stretch a few times but take care not to stretch too much.
Roll A ball
Use a tennis ball, a golf ball or any other small ball that you have available. Place it under your foot and roll it by moving your foot. This particular exercise helps the plantar fascia to loosen up. Do this for just a few minutes and do not prolong it for an extended duration of time.
Ice The Pain Away
The day can drag on and the pain can make it seem like it will never come to an end. After taxing your poor plantar fascia throughout the day, a bag of ice may be just the thing that can put the pain at bay. Using a frozen water bottle is even better. Roll the bottle across the bottom of your foot a number of times till the pain subsides.
Go The Insole way
Another great way to relieve pain is to prevent it. Supporting the arch of the foot has always been a good idea. Get a commercial insole to do the job for you. A commercial insole with an arch bump will help to push the plantar fascia upward. It also keeps the fascia from flexing. Try to use a support in all the shoes that you have. This will help the Plantar Fascia to heal faster!
Plantar Fasciitis can strike at any time. It wise not to ignore any foot and heel pain that you may experience. The longer you allow the weakened ligament to bear your weight, the weaker it is going get. In fact, seeking medical help should be one of your top priorities. In addition to the medical treatment, you can also practice the above exercises to help strengthen the Plantar Fascia.
Your goal should be to stretch, ice and support your ligament on a regular basis. This will help it to heal quickly. On a short term perspective, it will also help in pain relief.
