Plantar Fasciitis

Have you ever awaken early morning and your first step out of bed is excruciatingly painful. The pain can diminish once your feet get warmed up, but as soon as you sit and rest for awhile then get back up you experience that same morning pain. You could have the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. This is inflammation in the strong band in the bottom of the foot that supports your arch.

Now that the season is summer and many people are involved in outdoor activities such as walking and running. Not everyone takes time to stretch properly and as a result of tight calf muscles your foot has a harder time flexing (bringing your toes towards your shin) commonly known as Dorsi-flexion in the medical world. A way to prevent or ward off plantar fasciitis if yours is due to tight calf muscles (gastrocsoleus complex) is by stretching after your activity.

Here’s how:

• Calf stretch : Standing up straight lean forward with your hands against the wall, feet should be on the floor behind the plane of your shoulders. Step forward with one foot, leaving the opposite foot HEEL on the floor. Keep your butt tucked in pushing your hips towards the wall slowly continue to move towards the wall. You should feel a stretch in the back lower part of your leg from your knee to your heel. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds doing 3-4 repetitions.

• For a deeper heel stretch, do exactly as the calf stretch describes and then bend the knee of the back foot. You should feel the stretch in the lower part of your heel. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds for 3-4 repetitions as well. Do both stretches on both legs even if you only have pain on one foot. Prevention is always the best medicine.