Exercise & Activities for Chronic Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis, which produces sharp pain on the bottom of the heel pad, results from a tear along the plantar fascia ligament in the bottom of the foot---more specifically, a tear at the spot where that ligament connects with the heel bone. Too much running or jumping or even fast walking can put stress on the tissue and lead to inflammation and moderate, even severe, pain. Conservative home treatments generally are effective.
-
Function
-
Greater flexibility in the tissues makes them less susceptible to injury. The most common exercises involve stretching, massaging and strengthening the ligament. Simply flexing the injured foot up and down and rotating it in a circle provides an easy, yet effective, exercise to get you started when your foot has been at rest.
Features
-
Any exercise that stretches the calf, back of the ankle and foot will help. For example, keep your feet together, your legs straight and lean forward toward a wall until you feel your calf muscles begin to stretch. And, simply rolling a glass bottle or rolling pin back and forth under your arch gently massages the strained ligament.
-
Timing
-
Mild exercises to warm up the ligament for a few seconds before you get out of bed or after you have been sitting for a while will ease your heel pain. Plus, the warm-ups will help prevent additional injury.
Consequences
-
Ignoring the pain and continuing the activities which caused it can lead to ligament tears severe enough to require surgery.
Warnings
-
Keep the stretching exercises smooth and gentle. Avoid activities that require fast starts and quick stops. Standing for long periods and long runs also can aggravate plantar fasciitis.
Alternatives
-
Instead of playing basketball or taking five-mile runs, try cycling or swimming to maintain your aerobic fitness until your heel pain subsides.
-
