Preventing Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common complaints people have regarding foot pain is plantar fasciitis.

Though a new pair of shoes will go a long way to help support and cushion injured feet, shoes or inserts alone can't solve this painful problem. Because most of us use our feet all day long, it is difficult to rest the fascia (rest is vital to healing plantar fasciitis!) which often results in this injury sticking around longer than it should. As with anything, this means that the best treatment is prevention!

Ensuring that you strengthen and stretch the muscles in your feet and legs is key to warding off this dreaded injury.

Try these exercises to help keep your feet healthy and strong:

1. Spell the Alphabet — Sitting down (you can do this at your desk or from your couch!) gently extend your foot. Flexing from your ankle, pretend that your big toe is a pen and start "spelling" the alphabet. After completing the whole sequence, repeat with the other foot.

2. Bear Squat to Downward Dog — On the floor, kneel down with your toes curled under and then sit back on your heels. From here, rock side to side on your curled toes to stretch the foot, calf muscles, and tendons. If you have the strength and flexibility, move onto all fours (with toes still curled under) and then press your hips up to move into the "Downward Dog" position. In Downward Dog, gently press your heels toward the floor. Repeat.

3. Towel Pulls — Here's another one you can do from your desk or while sitting on your couch! Start by putting a towel on the floor. Use your toes to pull the towel toward you while keeping your heel on the ground. If you would like to add resistance you could also put a book on the towel. This exercise can also help prevent shin splints.

Beyond exercises, walking barefoot or wearing shoes that engage more of your foot and ankle muscles, can go a long way. Though immediately switching to a more minimal shoe for all running and walking is a recipe for disaster, slowly introducing shoes that challenge more muscles can increase strength and flexibility and ultimately help prevent injury. Look for shoes with a minimal or zero heel-to-toe drop that don’t overdue it with the midsole. At Terra, we carry Altra Running shoes which all have a zero heel-to-toe drop, and Lems, an every day shoe designed to interfere minimally with your foot’s natural movement. Walking barefoot around the house, or even jogging barefoot outside in the grass for a short period, will also strengthen your feet. You must transition to this slowly! Especially if you have weak feet and ankle muscles or are used to wearing very supportive shoes and/or inserts, you need to take it easy or risk injury.

Though we often don’t think about the importance of strengthening and stretching our feet and ankles (and it’s certainly not glamorous), neglecting these underappreciated muscles can result in long term injury or pain.

If you already have an injury that needs to be assessed, come to our free injury clinic, put on by Results Physical Therapy, September 28th from 5:15 - 6pm.