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Your plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs from your toe to your heel and acts as a shock absorber when your foot hits the ground. When it’s healthy, it’s bouncy and pliable, so that you can bend your toes in either direction, walk, run, and dance without pain.
Either due to injury or just the wear and tear of time, your plantar fascia can develop minute tears and stretches. Injury causes an inflammatory response in your body that can cause plantar fasciitis.
When your plantar fascia is inflamed and swollen, it stiffens and shortens. Suddenly the tissue that’s supposed to keep your foot safe and pain-free is causing you so much pain that it hurts every time you walk.
Although only about 1% of people in the United States receive a plantar fasciitis diagnosis each year, about 10% will experience plantar fascia pain at some point in their lives. If it’s your “turn” now, you want to get past the heel pain and onto the healing as soon as possible.
At Advanced Foot & Ankle Center, our board-certified podiatrists diagnose and treat plantar fasciitis at our offices throughout Utah. If you don’t respond to over-the-counter pain medicine, we may recommend other treatments, including a referral for physical therapy (PT).
What happens when you undergo PT for severe plantar fasciitis pain? Here’s a brief.
Fair warning: To help heal your inflamed and tight fascia stretch out, you’ll be pulling on your already-painful tissue. You can prepare for PT by soaking your foot in warm water and gently massaging it. Your therapist will probably encourage you to stretch beyond your comfort zone.
You might also take a pain medication before your session. Try an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or acetaminophen.
When you have heel pain or pain on the bottom of your foot from a damaged plantar fascia, the first step is to gently stretch out the tissue so it becomes resilient again. Not only is the plantar fascia itself tight, but a tight calf muscle may further pull on your painful tissue.
Your PT routine will probably consist of a variety of exercises so that your plantar fascia is stretched gently in multiple directions. Possibilities are:
Sit on a chair and place a small towel on the floor in front of you. Scrunch your toes on the towel and try to pull it toward you. Relax and let go of the towel. Repeat 10 times, 1-2 times daily.
Face a wall with your feet flat on the floor and place your hands on the wall. Bend the unaffected leg at the knee and lean toward the wall, so the calf on your affected leg is stretched. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 6 times a day.
Sit in a chair and place a tennis ball or water bottle under your foot. Roll the ball/bottle back and forth under the arch to stretch the ligament. Roll for 3-5 minutes at a time, twice a day.
Sit on the floor or on a chair. Cross your affected leg over the unaffected one. Use one hand to hold your toes and bend them and your ankle as far as you can. Use your free hand to massage your arch. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Continue for 2-3 minutes, 2-4 times a day.
Stand on a step. Keep your unaffected foot flat on the step. Slide the other foot back until the ball of your foot is at the edge of the step. Lower that heel toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 4-6 times a day.
One way to passively stretch out your overly tight fascia is to wear a splint at night. A splint looks like an open boot with a strap on the front.
The strap can be tightened to gradually pull your toes upward while you sleep. Splints help your fascia relax and lengthen. You may also benefit from custom orthotics that you wear in your shoes to keep your feet in alignment and give your arch support.
After your PT session, your therapist may recommend an ice bath for your affected foot and calf. Or, you can simply apply a wrapped ice pack to the sole of your foot and the back of your calf.
In 90% of cases, PT, splinting, orthotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs improve your pain and function. If you don’t respond to these supportive therapies, you may need a more invasive treatment, such as surgery.
If you're ready to stretch away your plantar fasciitis pain, call us today for treatment or a PT referral. Reach our team by phoning the office nearest you or book your appointment online.
