Ouch! If you’ve ever had plantar fasciitis, you know just how excruciating those first few steps are when you get out of bed in the morning. It can feel like you’re stepping on a knife as the tight connective tissue on the bottom of your foot stretches out. As someone who has had a recurrence of plantar fasciitis over the years, beginning in high school, I can tell you first hand just how painfully necessary it is to address the underlying cause to avoid flare-ups.
What Exactly is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia, or connective tissue along the bottom of our foot, gets tight, swollen and irritated. Plantar fascia is a flat band of connective tissue that runs from your heel bone to your toes. It helps provide stability for the arch of our foot but can cause problems when it gets inflamed.
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain due to the insertion point of the plantar fascia along the heel bone. Pain is also common in the arch of the foot and the ball of the foot.
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis commonly occurs in adolescent athletes, soldiers and the middle aged population who are on their feet often. Repeated strain on the plantar fascia leads to irritation and inflammation, causing pain with weight bearing, walking and running. Over time, repeated straining of the plantar fascia can cause microtears in the ligaments, leading to increased pain.
You are at an increased risk for developing plantar fasciitis if you:
- Have high arches or flat feet
- If you are overweight
- If you have ill-fitting shoes
- If you frequently wear high heels
- If you don’t use proper arch support
- If you overpronate (your feet roll inward when you walk)
- If you stand on hard surfaces for prolonged periods of time
- If you run on unstable surfaces
- If you have tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons
Loosening Your Fascia
To help loosen the tight band of fascia on the bottom of your foot, which can feel like a thick rope or big marbles, roll your foot on a tennis ball, lacrosse ball or a frozen water bottle for a few minutes each day. Using a frozen water bottle gives you the added benefit of the ice’s natural anti-inflammatory properties, helping reduce the irritation in the tissues. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, it’s worth the pain.
Consistent stretching is also vital to improve the tissue extensibility of your plantar fascia. This is the ugly recurrent nature of plantar fasciitis. It can become a chronic problem if you don’t address the underlying issue and consistently stretch.
