Image of painful plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation of the thick heel tissue called the plantar fascia, which connects your toes to your heels. Plantar fasciitis can be the result of repeated action by the muscle, such as running or jogging, or it can happen over time and be the result of age or years of poor foot support or carrying a lot of weight. Regardless of how it develops, plantar fasciitis is a very painful condition with limited treatment options. There are a few things you can do, however, to treat plantar fasciitis naturally and bring relief.
Instructions
1. Apply ice packs to the heel area to help relieve inflammation and swelling. Applying an ice pack twice daily will help treat the pain and inflammation. Put your feet up and place an ice pack under the heel while you rest. Place a washcloth or a light towel between your foot and the ice pack to protect the skin from the extreme cold.
2. Wear over-the-counter arch supports. One of the aggravating causes of plantar fasciitis is poor foot support, such as high heels or flat shoes. Arch supports help relieve the pressure that's put on the plantar muscle, relieving some of the tension, inflammation and pain. Avoid high-heeled shoes and when not wearing arch supports, wear shoes or sneakers with quality built-in arches.
3. Wear night splints while sleeping. Night splints are specially designed soft boots that keep the foot in a very specific position overnight, gently stretching the Achilles tendon and the plantar fascia muscle. This overnight stretch helps prevent tension from settling into the muscle and relieves plantar fasciitis symptoms.
4. Stretch the plantar muscle and calf muscle in the morning before getting out of bed. Gently flex and extend your foot until you feel the muscles in the back of the heel stretching.
5. Avoid high-impact movements such as running, jogging or jumping. Repeated trauma on the heel and foot can further damage and irritate the plantar muscle, as well as cause additional inflammation and pain. Once your plantar fasciitis begins to heal, you can slowly add these activities to your routine. Meanwhile, to stay active, try something with lower impact such as swimming.
6. Rest. Put your feet up every evening, or even for 15 minutes during the day, and give your feet and heels a break. Elevating your feet will also help reduce inflammation.
7. Put some marbles down in a foot basin and roll your feet around on them, putting gentle pressure on your heel area. This is a cheap and wonderful way to get a foot massage. If you don't have marbles, roll a ball under your foot for gentle massage.
Tags: your feet, plantar fasciitis, plantar muscle, your foot, arch supports