Love Your Feet!
If you have foot pain in the sole of your foot it’s a likely culprit is plantar fasciitis. Most people have never heard of fascia, but most have heard of plantar fasciitis—a painful inflammation of the fascia in your foot. Fascia is connective tissue that runs through your whole body. At the sole of your foot it is a fibrous material that connects to your Achilles’ tendon. And when it hurts it hurts. Most people find it especially hurts first thing in the morning. And that is because fascia responds to movement and hydration. After sleeping, we haven’t drinking in eight hours and we’ve barely moved. The fascia stiffens.
Here are some tips to help your fascia feel better. Some of these are beneficial for the fascia throughout your body. All are specific to the fascia in your foot causing pain:
- Drink Water
- Ice—you can toss and ice pack under your foot whenever you are sitting down or freeze a water bottle and roll it back and forth under your foot.
- At night use this time as a little R&R and rub some lotion or a muscle ache rub into the area. Rub the sole of your foot, your Achilles tendon and your calf. Or use a soft ball—like a squash ball—and gently massage your foot. Don’t work through pain. Only apply as much pressure as feels good.
- Find and wear comfortable shoes.
- Stretch—use a belt or a band to flex the foot, pulling your toes toward your nose. Don’t force it. Feel a stretch but no strain. Do this stretch with both a straight leg and a bent knee.
- And try the exercises in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OoMsKW7zjw
Remember to be gentle and don’t do anything that hurts. If possible try to exercise and ice two to three times a day.
