4 Things You Can Do For Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a thick strong tissue, surrounding the muscles in the bottom of the foot. The fascia is attached on the bottom of the heel and stretches forward becoming broader and thinner and then divides into 5 small sections and attaches to the bones in the ball of the foot. One of the main purposes of the plantar fascia is to help maintain the normal arch of the foot by acting as a shock absorbing bowstring.
Due to extreme overweight, standing all day, shoes that lack support or repetitive shock from running sports, the plantar fascia can become stretched and inflamed. This results in the pain of plantar fasciitis.
If you catch it early, the following four steps should help relieve a lot of your pain.
Rest. In most instances, overuse is a cause of your plantar fasciitis. Rest is a key. Schedule time in your day to take a break and get off your feet. If your exercise entails running, find other exercises that do not put as much pounding on the feet.
Wear good footwear. Make sure your shoe or boot fits properly and has a good arch support. Avoid flat shoes such as sandals. You should probably avoid walking barefoot around the house also: get a good athletic shoe with arch supports.
Ice your feet. To help with any inflammation ice the bottom of your foot for 15 minuets at a time, 3 times a day. Do not put ice directly on your skin, but make sure you wrap it in a towel.
Do toe crunches. A great exercise to strengthen the muscles in the bottom of your feet and improve the arch, are toe crunches. On a hard-surfaced floor (tile or wood), take your shoes and socks off, sit on the edge of a straight chair. Place a small towel on the floor, the length of it going away from the chair. Now place your foot on the end of the towel and begin to move bend the toes, pulling the length of the towel under your foot. Repeat for 5 minutes, 2-3 times a day.
If the above steps do not help, professional help is probably necessary. One of the key treatments chiropractic care offers is to help support the arch of the foot, taking the stress off the fascia. This is accomplished with specific adjustments or manipulations of the small bones in the foot that form the arch.
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