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Many avid runners get acute pain on the bottom of their foot close to the heel. This condition occurs when the ligament along the bottom of the foot is damaged, and is called plantar fasciitis. In its early stage, just replacing your running shoes with new ones will help reduce the chance of further damage, but once you experience the acute pain, you need to treat the condition. If you don’t treat it properly, about 20% of people develop a chronic condition.

A sufferer of plantar fasciitis often experiences acute pain when s/he gets up in morning, but gradually the pain goes aways as the day progresses. This is because the foot muscles are not warmed up in the morning and muscles shorten while sleeping, but as we walk around the muscles get warmed up and stretched.

Do you need to visit a doctor if you are suffering from this pain? It is a good idea to do so, since you may be suffering from not only planar fasciitis, but also stress fractures. If you are sure that it is plantar fasciitis only, you may try some home remedies. According to a recently-published study, stretching is as effective as radial shock-wave therapy which is the treatment most often prescribed by orthopedic doctors.

Here is the stretch recommended by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons:

• Sitting on a chair, cross the affected foot over the knee of the other leg.
• Grasp the toes of the foot and bend the ankle by pulling the toes upward towards the knee.
• Find the tight “band-like” tissue (which is probably painful) on the bottom of the foot.
• Place your thumb on that “band” (the fascia) and rub it as if you are trying to release kinks.
• Hold this stretch for 10 seconds.
• Repeat 10-20 times.

They recommend this before getting out of bed in the morning, and whenever sitting for an extended time.

Of course it is better NOT to get plantar fasciitis in the first place. So what should we do? Again, stretch! Especially, if you regularly wear high-heels, you also need to stretch your calves regularly. According to a University of Vienna study, people who regularly wear high-heels permanently shorten their achilles’ tendon, which causes heel pain when they walk in flat shoes.

If you are a runner, you probably already stretch your calves regularly before and after running. That is good, but it may not be enough. The standard calf stretch, in which you extend one leg backward with the foot flat on the floor, does not stretch every part of the calf muscle. For example, touch the calf muscle close to your inside of the knee. You will likely find a thick band of muscle. This is a sign that you are not stretching your calf well. Since it is difficult to stretch that part of the muscle, it helps to use a massage stick (some commercial names include Marathon Stick©, BodyStick©) or a form roller to massage out the stiffness.

Stretching the bottom of the feet is easier with certain equipment, although you can use the stretching method described above. If you have a tennis ball, you can use it as a massager by rolling the ball under the foot. There are also many styles of foot massagers that have been developed. One device often recommended among trainers is Foot Wheel©. It is specifically designed to work with plantar fascia. I use it regularly, although the first time I used it was quite painful! After a few minutes, however, I felt my muscles relax significantly.

Some people also use a night splint, which you wear while you sleep. It keeps the calf and bottom of the foot stretched. (This may not be for everyone, as it is not quite comfortable to sleep with.)

There are two other things you may do to prevent plantar fasciitis. Get new running shoes regularly. You really need to get a new pair of shoes before you think you need them. I think that it is better to buy a cheaper pair more often than to buy one very expensive pair. You can also try arch supports for your regular shoes. You don’t need them for the running shoes, since they are included (but if the support is not working anymore, buy a new pair). Since most women’s shoes don’t have any arch supports, it is a good idea to add them. You can find cheap ones at any drug store, or if you like, you can have them custom-made by an orthopedic doctor or a podiatrist.

Source:
Plantar Fascia-Specific Stretching Versus Radial Shock-Wave Therapy as Initial Treatment of Plantar Fasciopathy. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2010; 92
On muscle, tendon and high heels. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2010; 213: 2582-2588

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