Top Tips for Plantar Fasciitis
• Morning stretch: most patients experience pain in the morning during the first few steps. Research has shown strong evidence in the importance of stretching as a treatment strategy. A slow and long stretch, around 30-45 seconds is better than the usual 10-second stretch in the gym.
Top two stretches for plantar fasciitis are calf stretch and plantar fascia stretch. You can also release your plantar fascia by rolling on a tennis ball or a frozen water bottle.
• Ice: some patients have pain after walking for a prolonged period of time, for example, after wearing heavy work shoes walking all day at work. Ice on the localized painful area for 5-10 minuses should be able to temporarily reduce the pain.
• Shoe wear: it is recommended to wear supportive shoes with a proper arch support/orthotics if appropriate.
• Strengthening: strengthening of the lower extremity is also very important
as it takes off the load on your foot/plantar fascia. Hip, knee and foot intrinsic strengthening exercises have also been shown to be effective. For example, bridging exercises by lying on your back and push your gluteal muscles up. A toe curl exercise with a towel is a good exercise to start training the muscles inside your foot.
By: Janet Yang P.T.