Plantar Fasciitis - part 2

Now that you understand the risk factors, let's get to the best part: what can you do to avoid plantar fasciitis?

If you wake up in the morning and your feet aren't working right or you're in so much pain that you're hobbling around like a 80 year old - you KNOW what I'm talking about - the stretching can be exceptionally important to you.

Stretching and warm-up techniques

Exercise plays a key role in managing plantar fasciitis. Stretching and specific warm-up exercises can help provide pain relief, improve flexibility, and promote healing by alleviating tension in the plantar fascia. This can lead to significant improvements in pain management and overall foot function.

The Journal of Family Practice even highlights research showing that "plantar fascia-specific stretching (PFSS) significantly reduces or eliminates heel pain compared to traditional stretching movements, and is beneficial for treating chronic heel pain".

Here are some effective plantar fasciitis exercises to get you started.

Toe stretches

1. Cross your affected leg over your other leg.

2. Use one hand to gently grasp your toes on the affected foot.

3. Slowly bend your toes and ankle upwards as far as feels comfortable, stretching the arch and calf muscle.

4. Optional: with your other hand, gently massage the arch of your foot to release any tension.

5. Hold this stretch for 10 seconds, then relax. 

6. Repeat this 2-3 times per minute for 2-4 sessions throughout the day.

   
   
   
   

 Calf raises

1. Stand on a step with a small towel rolled up and placed under the balls of your feet for added support. Hold onto something sturdy for balance. Another option is you can do on a flat surface and use the wall to steady yourself.

2. Push through the balls of your feet, slowly raising your heels as high as you comfortably can.

3. Don't drop your heels! Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position without resting at the bottom.

4. Aim for 3 sets of 15 repetitions, performed twice a day on alternate days (so, every other day).

Rolling Underfoot

1. Find some sort of ball or better yet a roller designed to release the tendon.

2. Place the ball/roller on the floor and slowly roll the bottom of your affected foot back and forth over the ball for 5-10 minutes. Apply gentle to moderate pressure as you roll.

3. Some of these rollers can be warmed up to help your feet relax or you can put them in the freezer for some cold therapy. The frozen water bottle is a trick too, but seriously messy.

   (I personally can't use the "ball" as it hits to hard on the tendon in my heel apex on apex

   - but the rollers can dig in much easier for me, plus I can travel easily with them for

   those very active vacations or business trips.)

   
   

Gradual increase in physical activity

Here's the key to preventing plantar fasciitis: avoid overloading the plantar fascia. Sudden spikes or too much stress on this tissue can trigger inflammation and pain.

You can keep your feet healthy and active by gradually increasing your physical activity. Here are some helpful tips.

• Start slow

  Begin with low-impact exercises like walking or cycling. These activities build endurance without straining your feet.

• Increase gradually 

  Raise activity intensity and duration by no more than 10% per week to allow your body to adapt to the new demands.

• Warm-up

  Dedicate 5-10 minutes to a light warm-up before any activity. This could include gentle stretches or light cardio to prepare your muscles and fascia for movement.

  
  

• Stretch and strengthen regularly

  Regularly performing specific stretches and strengthening exercises for your feet and calves is crucial. Improved flexibility and support in these areas go a long way in preventing plantar fasciitis.

• Listen to your body

  This is your most important tool! If you feel foot pain or discomfort, especially in your arch or heel, reduce activity. If you’ve had issues with the condition in the past, make sure to learn the signs plantar fasciitis is healing to monitor your progress and avoid potential regression.

• Cross-train

  Vary your activities (swimming, yoga, strength training) to avoid overloading any one muscle group, including your feet.

• Rest and recover

  Allow your body adequate time to recover between high-impact activities to prevent an overuse injury

  
  

Maintaining healthy body weight

Keeping a healthy weight is a big win for your feet, especially the plantar fascia. The more you weigh, the more pressure your feet are under. This extra pressure can lead to inflammation and pain in the plantar fascia.

This is always an easy thing to blame it on. Of course this isn't the case for everyone I have "stick figures" that have foot problems just as bad as anyone else. There can be so many factors. You can't just chalk it up to your weight.

The benefits of a healthy weight

• Less stress on the arches

  Shedding extra pounds translates to less strain on your arches. This helps keep plantar fasciitis symptoms at bay.

• Proper foot mechanics

  Maintaining a healthy weight helps your feet function and align properly, preventing abnormal stress on the plantar fascia.

Foot care and hygiene

Taking good care of your feet is essential in preventing plantar fasciitis. Here's why regular care matters:

• Cleaning and moisturizing 

  Regularly washing your feet with soap and water removes dirt and bacteria that can lead to infections. Foot infections can cause inflammation and discomfort, potentially worsening plantar fasciitis. 

  Moisturizing keeps skin healthy and prevents dryness and cracking, which can alter your gait and put extra strain on the plantar fascia. Getting a pedicure can be an easy way to do this. Personally I have a hard time being bent in half for 30 minutes trying to do my own. I do the in between maintenance with foot buffers or files and leave the big stuff to the professionals.

• Proper grooming

  Keeping toenails trimmed straight across prevents ingrown nails that can cause pain and gait changes. Altered gait can put extra stress on the plantar fascia. (see above blurb about pedicures!)

• Socks

  Additionally, wearing clean, moisture-wicking socks helps keep feet dry and reduces the risk of fungal infections. Fungal infections can also lead to inflammation and discomfort, aggravating plantar fasciitis. I usually discourage cotton socks s for people whose feet sweat a lot you can get athletes foot. Your shoes don't dry out because your socks collected the water and held it next to your skin all day.

Conclusion: Enhance Your Foot Health with Proper Footwear

Proper orthopedic footwear is crucial for preventing plantar fasciitis and managing related conditions like heel spurs. At Desert Birkenstock, our range of products—including plantar fasciitis shoes for women, plantar fasciitis shoes for men, and plantar fasciitis sandals s well as orthotics that you can use in your current footwear—are designed to provide the support, cushioning, and fit essential for foot health.

These products not only aid in managing plantar fasciitis but are also effective for many other foot conditions. We try to give you as much information as you can handle. Sometimes maybe too much. But wouldn't you rather know what is going on than having to surf endlessly. We've seen some stuff over the years and I feel pretty qualified to give some information that could possibly make all the difference.

Probably one of my favorite things to tell people - is that "All of this foot stuff isn't hard - it's just not intuitive." When we explain much of this, customers will look at us - and tell us "that's makes sense" - just wasn't something they would've thought of on their own. My opinion is that most of what people know about foot health they learned from TV commercials (which sadly are about 50% B.S.) There is no magic bullet. What works for you won't work for your friend or your spouse. Sometimes you have to try a couple different approaches and figure out what works best for you. Hope this gives you some insight and more resources.