If you've been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, your feet probably hurt quite often. The pain can be unbearable at times. With plantar fasciitis, the band of tissue that connects the heel bone to your toes becomes inflamed. When that happens, you'll experience severe pain throughout your affected foot. In addition to the treatment your doctor will provide you with, there are some other things you can do to alleviate the discomfort. Here are three tips that will help you cope with plantar fasciitis.
Stretch Your Calves
If you have plantar fasciitis, getting out of bed in the morning can be a real chore. As soon as you put your feet on the ground, you may experience immediate pain as the muscles in your calves pull on your heels. You can eliminate the pain and get your feet ready for the day by stretching your calves while you're still in bed. For this exercise, you should keep a towel near the bed. This will allow you to get ready for exercise without stepping out of bed.
Sit up in bed and extend one leg out in front of you. Be sure to keep your leg straight. Loop the towel around your foot and pull the towel towards you. Continue pulling until you can feel your calf muscles stretching. Hold the towel in that position for about 45 seconds. Release the towel and repeat the exercise three times. Move the towel to the other leg and repeat the process.
Try an Ice Massage
Ice is beneficial for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. This ice massage will help you loosen up the muscles in the bottom of your feet. Place a plastic water bottle in the freezer until the water is frozen. Remove the frozen water bottle from the freezer and place it on the floor. Stand up straight and hold onto a counter or chair for support. Place one foot on the water bottle and roll the bottle along the bottom of your foot. Roll the bottle under your feet for at least 5-10 minutes per foot. Try this exercise at least once a day to help alleviate the pain.
Give Your Shoes the Afternoon Off
You might think that strong, supportive shoes would be the best thing for your feet, but if you have plantar fasciitis, your feet actually need to be free once in a while. In order for your feet to heal from plantar fasciitis, your arches and tendons need to get a workout. They can't do that if the arch supports in your shoes are doing all the work for them. Give your arches and tendons a workout by going barefoot for a few minutes each day. Make sure you're indoors, so you don't step on anything that could injure your feet.
For more information, contact Advanced Foot Clinic or a similar location.
