The worst pain with the first few steps in the morning is a classic marker of plantar fasciitis, although this is not a symptom that every patient will experience. Patients frequently experience pain at the start of an exercise that subsides or disappears as they warm up. Your first steps in the morning may induce stabbing pain. The discomfort usually goes away as you get up and move around, but it may come back after standing for too long.
Runners are more likely to get plantar fasciitis. Moreover, it is highly common in overweight people and people who use shoes with insufficient support.
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
The plantar fascia gives support to the sole of your foot, which is similar to a bowstring and absorbs shock whenever you walk. Little tears in the fascia might occur if the stress and tension on this bowstring become too high. Although the origin of plantar fasciitis in many cases is unknown. However, repeated tearing and stretching can inflame your fascia.
Despite the fact that plantar fasciitis can develop without warning, there are some variables that can enhance your chances of having it.
It’s crucial to understand that plantar fasciitis is more common in those over the age of 40. Certain sorts of activity can also make you more vulnerable. Long-distance running, aerobic dance, and ballet dancing, are all activities that put a lot of strain on your heel and tissue, which can lead to plantar fasciitis.
Excess weight puts additional strain on your plantar fascia, which can result in this condition. Furthermore, a high arch, flat feet, or even an atypical walking pattern can influence how your plantar fascia gets affected by your body weight.
If you are wondering how to heal plantar fasciitis quickly, keep reading.
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1. Stretching
In the therapy of plantar fasciitis, stretching and strengthening exercises are crucial. They can treat functional risk factors like intrinsic foot muscle weakness and gastrocsoleus complex tightness. When you have a few minutes to spare, there are a variety of stretches that may be done quickly and easily. It is especially crucial to improve calf muscle flexibility. Stretching techniques that are commonly employed include wall stretches. If you have access to a pebble, a wall, or stairs, you can get quick relief from your heel pain while also strengthening your plantar fascia with time.
2. Massage your Feet
Massaging your feet will not only assist to treat your ligaments over time but will also aid to relieve the pain of plantar fasciitis. According to physicians, the optimum time to massage your feet is after a bath.
- Start by rubbing a small amount of moisturizer or oil into your hands.
- Massage your foot along the entire length of the arch, from heel to toes, with medium to hard pressure.
- Next, proceed across the arch’s entire width. For about two minutes, massage each foot.
- When you reach a delicate spot, apply consistent pressure for several seconds, without creating strong pain.
The tension from this massage interrupts the brain’s pain receptors, improves blood circulation to the heel and arch, and breaks down unpleasant adhesions on the ligament. You can also use round objects like a small ball to massage your feet.
Plantar fasciitis massage video
Thanks, Dr. Jo for this Video – YouTube/AskDoctorJo
3. Use an Ice pack
Cold therapy is an excellent technique to treat this ailment. When you get an injury, blood and fluids rush to the wounded site. This is a vital step in the healing process, but it can be extremely painful. Your blood arteries constrict when you use a moderate application of ice, this decreases the flow and avoid blood leaks.
At the same time, the cold numbs the tissues, diminishing pain feelings in the nerves. Apply an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes. There are also ice pack slippers available on the market that can be worn at work easily.
4. Wear a Night Splint
Wearing night splints keep your feet at a 90-degree angle while you sleep. As a result, rather than shortening your plantar fascia, you get a decent, consistent stretch while sleeping. Splints for the night provide consistent and reliable support. This not only preserves the plantar fascia and intrinsic muscles functionally long, but it also helps to relieve tension in them.
Video: YouTube/Vive Health
Although they are big, they work pretty well. You can take them off once the pain has subsided. Various models are available. Traditional and sock night splints are the two most common forms. Both have advantages and disadvantages. You can use a Sock Splint to keep your foot gently stretched and ease the pain while you answer emails, watch TV, read a book or relax on the couch if you spend a lot of time sitting.
5. TENs Therapy
It is in some situations that TENS therapy for plantar fasciitis comes in handy. TENS therapy is not guaranteed to cure plantar fasciitis completely. It will, however, provide safe pain relief and may aid in the healing of the tendon. TENS works by using electrode pads to send gentle electrical impulses through the skin and to the nerve endings. These electrical impulses have a number of effects.
They start by blocking pain impulses in the brain and replacing them with a mild tingling that feels like a massage. The impulses can also release endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, as well as improve blood flow to the location, promoting recovery. TENS therapy for the foot is a better alternative to anti-inflammatories, which are hazardous for you in the long run and can even prevent healing.
How To Use Tens for Plantar Fasciitis
Video: YouTube/Bob & Brad
6. Use a washcloth to strengthen your feet
A simple washcloth is one of the simplest methods to stretch your feet. Bring one to work with you, or keep one on your nightstand at home for a quick, pain-relieving solution at any time! When done before getting out of bed, the towel stretch is beneficial for reducing morning pain.
Sit in a comfortable position with your involved leg straight out in front of you.
Wrap a towel around your foot and pull it towards you, feeling the calf muscle stretch.
Repeat steps 2–3 for a total of 45 seconds. Repeat this process 4-6 times per day.
This deceptively easy workout improves and builds weak foot muscles that cause plantar fasciitis. Make sure you extend both of your feet, not just one!
Video: YouTube/FyzioGym
7. Use orthotics
Patients with plantar fasciitis can benefit from orthotics, which are a non-invasive and cost-effective therapeutic option. Many studies have demonstrated that orthotics can help individuals with their symptoms. An orthotic fills the gap between the foot and the shoes, increasing the contact area and distributing the stress from the longitudinal arches to the medial portions of the foot.
8. Calf Stretching
Plantar fasciitis is commonly treated with calf stretching as a first-line treatment. Standing 1 to 2 feet away from a wall is the easiest way to complete the calf stretch.
With your arms spread, lean against the wall.
Place one foot on the ground and one foot behind your torso in a line reaching down from your shoulders.
Maintain a stretch in the rear of your heel by keeping your back foot flat on the ground (the Achilles tendon).
Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and then repeat. Complete both sides.
To intensify the stretch, bend your back knee downwards while maintaining your foot flat on the ground.
Video: YouTube/Vive Health
9. Use Toe Separators
Toe separators straighten shrunken tendons that have become tight, thus allowing toes to uncurl to a comfortable situation. Toe stretchers improve blood flow to the foot by breaking down adhesions, relieving heel and foot pain, and improving muscles and ligaments in the feet.
Use Toe Separators to slowly stretch and straighten your foot and toes when sitting or lying down. Not only will your toes and feet be stronger, but they will also feel fantastic!
10. Use essential oils
For decades, people have used essential oils to treat everything from stomach discomfort to muscle pain. Analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities are found in most essential oils, which aid to relieve pain. Ginger, lavender, peppermint, basil, and bergamot essential oils can be used to treat plantar fasciitis.
In most cases, the remedy entails combining the oils in some way and applying them directly to the affected area.
Can You Cure Plantar Fasciitis in One Week?
Cure plantar fasciitis in one week is not easy, and these remedies do not guarantee treatment, which is why giving time for your foot to heal is the best.
Be aware of the strains that affect your feet on a daily basis. At the end of the day, make sure your feet get some rest. Never try to ignore your heel pain. Walking, exercising, or wearing shoes that cause heel pain can lead to long-term problems like heel spurs. If you have heel discomfort after any activity, apply ice to the region and rest your foot until it heals.