Plantar Fasciitis Tips

June 3, 2024

A jagged dark mass curves beneath a bright, white background.

Plantar fasciitis is common among our Axio clients. Personally, I have dealt with it off and on for over 10 years. At times it can be very painful and difficult to find relief. I’ve personally researched and talked to many physical therapists about tips and tricks to help with plantar fasciitis.

Recently, my plantar fasciitis flared up again. When it does, there are now only three things that I do:

1. Stretch- stretching is by far the most helpful for me. And by stretching, I don’t mean stretching the bottom of your foot a couple of times per day. I intentionally keep my foot stretched all the time. If I’m sitting at a table, I’ll stretch it on a table leg. When I’m on the couch, I’ll keep it stretched against the coffee table. Or if I’m standing for long periods of time, I find some sort of object or incline to keep my foot stretched. A physical therapist gave me this advice because when your foot is stretched, your plantar fascia cannot tighten up.

2. Rest- I love to walk and run. But rest really is important to overcome plantar fasciitis. However, resting your foot doesn’t mean you have to rest from exercise. You can still swim, bike or use a row machine to get your cardio! But intentionally resting from walking, jogging, or standing for too long will give you significant relief in just a few days.

3. Ice- Rolling your foot on a frozen water bottle can also help give you relief. However, the first time I got plantar fasciitis I was constantly rolling my foot on frozen water bottles, golf balls, or anything else I could try to get back to normal. My sister, who is a doctor, suggested I just try to leave it alone for a little while. That helped! So, I think I’ve learned that doing too much rolling and massaging isn’t good either. Consider ice or roll your foot occasionally, but not so much that it is always tender.

Along with these three tips, the proper shoes are very important. Typically, supportive shoes with a little elevated heel and a big toe box are best. There are shoes of all styles designed specifically to help with plantar fasciitis. Check reviews before purchasing footwear but try to have the proper shoes for every occasion, not just for exercise.

At Axio Fitness we can also offer stretch therapy sessions specifically designed to help heal plantar fasciitis. We can massage and stretch the foot, ankle and calf for relief and healing.

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