So the doctor has given you an odd word for your foot pain –Plantar Fasciitis. Odd word and you’re clueless how to care for it. If your doctor recommended a cortisone injection you might want to think twice about it. Our recommendations are …
1. If it’s very painful you may want to ice it –no more than 20 minutes at a time.
2. Rest the painful foot or at least limit your activities.
3. Self massage. You can take a tennis ball and roll it back and forth firmly from the heel to the beginning of the toes. Do this for about 5 minutes or so.
4. Stretch –Although you may have pain in the bottom of the foot,the calf muscle (gastrocnemius) could be tight enough to pull the achilles tendon,therefore pulling on the plantar fascia. So,stretch your calf muscle.
It is our experience using kinesio tape in conjunction with the above recommendations assisted in the healing process tremendously.
Lie on your back with the painful foot raised vertical. Take a towel or rope and put the middle of it on the ball of your foot. Pull the ends of the rope and your toes toward you. You should feel a stretch in the lower leg.
calf stretch
