My 3 Tips for Curing Plantar Fasciitis
I have fought plantar fasciitis in my right foot for months and months. I have had this pesky and painful condition in the past, so the minute it began I knew what I needed to do. If you are a runner, a walker, a tennis player, a teacher, a hair stylist, or anyone who is on their feet a lot, then you may have had this before. If you have had it, you will know it. It is extremely painful and takes forever to go away.If the word plantar fasciitis sounds foreign to you then this is what it is. This is not a new topic for me. I wrote about it back in March HERE and shared how I was wearing a boot at night to help. I predict most active folks at some point will have plantar fasciitis. It's a painful tightening of the fascia affecting the heel of the foot. One of the first signs is terrible pain shooting in your foot the minute you place your foot on the floor in the mornings. When this began this time around I began the round of stretching and icing that I knew I needed to do. I tried to make myself wear the boot at night. (The problem with the boot is when you have to get up and go to the bathroom at night. Imagine the clunking you have to do to get across the room!) I also made sure I had appropriate inserts in my shoes for support AND I never walked around barefoot. These are the common things to do for plantar fasciitis.Well, I doctored myself and was the perfect patient. No progress. Playing tennis on hard courts and even walking the dogs was painful. I continued to follow the rules, but no help.So, a few months ago I added these three things to the regimen of stretching, not going barefoot and wearing inserts. I am thrilled to say that I am finally walking like a normal person! I still try NOT to go barefoot too often, which is really hard for me, but it is all working together!If you have had or currently suffering for this pesky pain then why not give one or all of these a try?
- Check your shoes. I switched to Hokas for walking, teaching some (but not all) of my classes and for everyday athletic shoes.
These shoes were on my Christmas list, and I mentioned them Here. Once I got used to these shoes I was sold. I am now on my second pair. I got to the point of hating to take my dogs for a walk because it was so painful. These Hokas changed that completely! I'm not saying that it was an overnight cure, but I think, for me, it has definitely contributed to helping get rid of the condition. 2. Self Massage of Calf with The StickI made some time and massaged from my calf down to my achilles at least once, sometimes twice a day. I made sure to do this after a workout pretty consistently. I began using a foam roller on the area and then began using a a Roller Stick, rubbing it up and down from the calf to the achilles. I always found knots and trigger points that needed some extra work. I made sure to do it on both legs, not just the affected one. I will be honest and say this is absolutely not much fun. The tightness causing the plantar fasciatis makes this one of those PAINFUL but good for you massages. A fancy roller stick is not at all necessary . . . a rolling pin works just as well!3. Massage Foot with Lacrosse BallThe one benefit of the Third Son taking up the sport of lacrosse is the wonderful use of those hard lacrosse balls for massage! I placed a lacrosse ball on the floor and stood on it barefoot, rolling it from the top of my foot down to the heel. I would stop on certain spots of the foot and spend some time rolling it back and forth, while pressing as much weight as I could into the ball. This is a wonderful self massage to do whether you have plantar fasciitis or not! Try this after a long day in heels or uncomfortable shoes. You will thank me! Maybe not while pressing that ball right into the tender or tight spots, but later you will thank me.If you think I just made this up and am trying to get you to do weird stuff while you watch TV, check out this video demonstrating using the lacrosse ball on the bottom of the foot.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymXvjYb4Aes[/embed]These are three things that I think have helped me tackle plantar fasciitis. Now, they did not work overnight. As with many things, patience and consistency are key. Stay with it. AND if you think you are just beginning to get plantar fasciitis . . . do NOT ignore it! Begin stretching, massaging, checking your shoes and give up going barefoot immediately!Any other tips? I'd love to hear them!Enjoy Your Day!
hair stylist, or anyone who is on their feet a lot or