Plantar Fasciitis is a very painful condition and it can lead to discomfort that is hard to attend to without active care so you may wonder if stretches and custom orthotics to relieve plantar fasciitis pain really work. Many people who have this condition worry that they will never be able to control their pain because they have to be on their feet all day or because they are an athlete who needs to be able to run and exercise.
If you have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, you might have worried that you will not be able to deal with the daily pain. Thankfully, here are some excellent ways to manage Plantar Fasciitis, and stretches and custom orthotics can make a big difference in the discomfort that you have been feeling. While Plantar Fasciitis can sometimes resolve through rest and a change of shoes or your exercise routine, this condition usually requires daily care.
Stretches and custom orthotics can make a big difference in your Plantar Fasciitis management and treatment plans.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
This painful condition is caused by inflammation in the bottom of the foot. The pain might show up as heel pain at first and then it will likely extend along the entire bottom of the foot. It has been found that this pain is often worse in the morning but it might become an all-day struggle that impacts your ability to walk around, and stand. You might even feel pain when you are lying down in more advanced cases.
For very active people, Plantar Fasciitis might be mistaken for normal discomfort related to overtraining or being very active. People who stand on their feet all day at work might also think that foot pain of this kind is normal due to their work environment. Early signs of this condition can often be ignored due to other factors that lead people to think that their pain is normal and will go away with rest. If the pain that you are experiencing is really due to Plantar Fasciitis, rest will not be enough to resolve the problem.
Stretches and Custom Orthotics to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain – Do They Work?
Plantar Fasciitis can be difficult to resolve without the right techniques because it is often linked to the shape of your feet or poorly fitting shoes. People with very flat feet are prone to this condition and without custom inserts for their shoes, the problem is often ongoing due to the mismatch of the support in the shoes and the shape of their feet.
When your feet are quite flat or you have gait issues that are leading to strain on your feet, trying to wear regular shoes and just push through the pain will only injure your feet more with each day. Proper support of your feet is necessary to help your feet to heal and to remain injury-free when you are engaged in your favorite activities. Tackling Plantar Fasciitis with just some rest and some icing will probably not eliminate your problems in the long run.
Plantar Fasciitis Pain
Many people will struggle for years with this kind of pain and simply take rests for extended periods of time to try and make their pain go away. While this might help resolve the problem, it will never eliminate the instability or gait issues in the foot that have led to the pain in the first place. In most cases, when you go back to running, standing, or any other activity, you will experience pain in your feet again.
Once Plantar Fasciitis has been impacting your feet for a while, it can be very hard to get rid of the inflammation that has affected the bottom of the foot. Resolution and treatment for plantar fasciitis often require a multi-faceted approach that includes stretching, icing, and the use of custom orthotics to help the foot to heal.
Stretches and Custom Orthotics to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain – Stretches
Plantar Fasciitis Stretches to Relieve Pain
Most of these exercises need to be done at least once a day. The more challenging exercises might not be accessible to you at first. Always listen to your body and stretch gently and carefully when your pain is acute. You want to help the muscles and tissue on the bottom of your feet to be more flexible but you do not want to force any kind of stretch that is causing severe pain. This is a sign that your foot is not ready for this level of challenge.
Plantar Fasciitis treatment can have ups and downs and you will want to pay attention to your comfort each day so that you do not overdo it. Even simple stretches can be quite hard on your feet if your inflammation is much worse than usual. As you add activities back into your routine, you might have bad days and good days. This is normal and you should not try and ignore the pain in your feet if you want your Plantar Fasciitis to heal fully.
1. Heel Raises
This is a simple stretch that is gentle and that can be trusted to make your feet feel much better. You should do this exercise with slow and controlled motions so that you do not overextend inflamed tissues and cause further pain in your feet. This exercise is great to warm up your legs and feet and it can also tell you a lot about your discomfort level each day. Be careful to limit all of the more advanced work that you do if this exercise is really uncomfortable on certain days. The process of stretching and healing after your Plantar Fasciitis diagnosis can be variable.
To do heel raises, you will just need a step or a ledge that you can stand on safely. Then, you will place the balls of your feet on the edge of the step and slowly allow your heels to drop. Next, raise back up onto the balls of your feet so that your toes are pointed down. This can be repeated about 10 times in a row. You should do this work once a day.
2. Ankle Inversion
This exercise requires an elastic band but it is quite simple to do. To start, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Be sure that you do not move your hips while you do this exercise. Then, you will put your left leg over your right and secure the upper foot with the resistance band. Next, hold the band with your hand and slowly move your upper foot away from your lower foot. This means you will need to rotate your foot inward and then return it to the starting position.
Do this exercise ten times for two sets for each foot. You will want to do this work once a day. This stretch can be more advanced than some people are ready for when they are in an acute stage of the inflammatory process. If you only get a few of these stretches done at first, that is fine. You need to listen to your body and move slowly through these more advanced stretches to avoid creating more inflammation.
3. Toe Scrunches
You will place your whole foot on the ground to do this stretch. Sit upright in a chair and put your foot on a towel. Curl your toes and scrunch the towel inward. You will then pull the towel back out flat and repeat. Do two sets of ten of these exercises on each foot. This is a great way to gauge how much tenderness is in your feet since this exercise will get more uncomfortable progressively if your feet are in an acute stage of inflammation. Be aware of this sign that your feet might not be ready for more advanced stretches yet.
This is a great exercise to do once a day and you will find that this is one of the gentler exercises for your discomfort. Sometimes some of the more advanced stretches can be too much for sore feet but this one is always a good choice for your stretching needs.
4. Seated Stretch
Sit in a chair and cross one leg over the other knee. Your ankle should be resting on the top of your leg. You will then hold your ankle with one hand and hold your toes with the other hand. Gently pull your toes until you feel the stretch along the bottom of your foot.
You will want to stretch both feet like this for 20 seconds each time. Do three times and repeat for each foot. You will want to do this once a day but you could add this stretch into your routine twice if need be. This stretch can also be used to prepare your feet for pressure to be added to them when you stand up. It is a great option for a little foot warm-up before you put your feet on the floor in the morning for the first time.
5. Calf Stretch
While this might seem like it would not be a helpful stretch for your feet, this stretch actually works on both your calves and your feet. You will stand near the wall and place your hands flat against the wall. Extend one foot backward and bend your front leg. You will feel the stretch in the back of your calf and along the bottom of your foot as you do so. Hold for 20 seconds and then release.
Do this exercise daily and repeat each stretch three times per leg. This is a great stretch to do in the morning to get your legs warmed up and ready for the day and to help your feet to be less painful as you start moving around. It is also a good stretch to do if you are going to try and walk or run as you get back into your normal activities.
6. Foam Rolling
While you need to be careful about this process, you will get a lot of benefits out of adding this to your stretching routine. If you have a soft foam roller, you can easily roll out the bottom of your feet with it. You can also use a water bottle if you do not have a foam roller, but a foam roller will offer a much more comfortable and effective surface for this exercise.
To use this process to make your feet feel better, you will place your heel on the roller and then gently roll your foot forward toward the ball of the foot. You will want to push gently as you do this so that you do not bruise your feet. This is a more advanced stretch but it can greatly improve the comfort of your feet and help you to reduce your healing time.
Stretches and Custom Orthotics to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain – More stretches
7. Towel Stretch
Using a towel, you will wrap the towel under the sole of your foot and pull it back gently. Press your foot forward against the towel as you do so. You will want to repeat this stretch three times and do the same for each foot. This can be a great morning stretch to get your feet to be ready for the day or you can add this stretch into your routine if you have been active and are starting to feel your feet tighten up.
This stretch is a great choice if you are dealing with a severe Plantar Fasciitis problem and cannot tolerate more intense stretches. It is also a great stretch to do before you get out of bed in the morning to avoid the sharp pain that can impact many people when they first stand up after resting.
8. Gentle Movement
One of the best ways to stretch your feet when they are affected by Plantar Fasciitis is to provide gentle movement to your feet. You will want to be sure that you are not running hard or walking briskly during this time. You will need to aim for walking at a steady speed on a flat surface. Focus on your feet striking the ground gently and staying level all the way through each step.
Avoid turning or twisting motions and do not jump or hop. You want to exercise your feet but as gently as possible. In most cases, a treadmill can be a great option so long as you can trust that you will be able to keep your feet level as you walk on this kind of surface. If you think that you will not walk evenly on a moving surface, simply head outside and walk on a level sidewalk for a while each day.
Stretches and Custom Orthotics to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain – Additional Ideas
There are also some other ways to help with the pain in your feet. You can ice your feet to help reduce the inflammation. Be sure that you do not ice them for too long as this can cause injury to the skin and make tight muscles even tighter. You can also be sure that you do not overdo it while you are healing your feet. You will need to take rests periodically to allow your feet the chance to improve over time.
Can Massage Help My Plantar Fasciitis Pain?
Many people think that massage will be very helpful for this condition when paired with stretching. In some cases, massage can be added to your treatment plan as your feet start to heal. However, a massage that is done in the early stages of this condition might actually be too painful to tolerate and might not create any improvement in your pain or lack of flexibility.
Massage can be a very effective means of supporting healthy muscle comfort or alleviating knots and other forms of scar tissue in the muscle, but Plantar Fasciitis is not related to either of these needs. Plantar Fasciitis is often linked to specific foot shapes or gait abnormalities and massage will not resolve the pain or the reason for it. Plantar Fasciitis requires a unique approach for management and massage does not fit well into this protocol in most cases.
You should assume that massage will only make your feet hurt more, especially in the early stages of the inflammatory processes that are behind this painful condition. For many people who are dealing with this kind of pain, stretching is one of the most effective means of management and when this work is combined with custom orthotics, the results can be impressive.
Stretches and Custom Orthotics to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain – Custom Orthotics
Ordering Custom Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis Pain Online
One of the best ways to manage your Plantar Fasciitis pain is to order custom orthotics online. You can easily get quality orthotics this way that will make sure that your feet get the support that they need to be comfortable and to heal. Orthotics are one of the best solutions for Plantar Fasciitis pain and you will be glad that you took the time to order your own set to take care of your feet.
Orthotics work by balancing the pressure on the feet when you are running, walking, or standing. They also cradle the foot so that it cannot flex too much when you are doing your regular activities. Managing the pain of Plantar Fasciitis often requires that you manage the needs of your feet. If you have very flat feet, you will need the right kind of support in your shoes to make sure that your feet can stay healthy.
Ordering custom orthotics online is a very easy process and the cost is not prohibitive. This is one of the best solutions for your Plantar Fasciitis foot pain and in most cases, you will need quality orthotics to help your feet to remain healthy in the future. Orthotics are a great solution for your Plantar Fasciitis and the process of getting custom orthotics made for your feet has never been easier
How do I Measure My Feet for Orthotics Online?
When you order custom orthotics online, you will be sent a kit that has molds for your feet in it. You will simply step evenly into the molds and make molds of your feet. You will then fill out a questionnaire that will ask about your activities each day and some of the things that you have tried to treat your pain. This information will help guide the creation of the orthotics that you need to help your feet heal and be pain-free every day.
Your orthotic kit will need to be sent back and then your orthotics will be custom-made for you. When they are delivered to your home, you will be able to slip them into your shoes and you will enjoy comfortable walking running, and standing because your feet will be supported correctly for the first time maybe ever in your entire life.
How do Orthotics Work?
Orthotics work by supporting the foot correctly within your shoe. They allow the foot to sit in a better position that will not strain the bottom of the foot in any way. When you have flat feet or certain foot conditions, it can be very difficult to properly support your foot in regular shoes. Orthotics that are made to fit your feet perfectly allow you to support your foot no matter what kind of activity you are engaged in.
While stretching and icing can help to treat existing Plantar Fasciitis pain, they cannot manage the problems that have led to the condition. For many people, the pain of Plantar Fasciitis will return again and again without orthotics to help take care of their feet properly. When you do not treat the gait issues or the foot shape problems that have caused Plantar Fasciitis, rest and other therapies will not be enough to resolve the issue.
Orthotics can also help to train the foot to move in a more balanced way.
Some people experience Plantar Fasciitis due to gait issues that lead to uneven pressures on the foot. Orthotics can help the foot to be balanced as you move and to maintain the right alignment when running, jumping, or standing. When the foot is not stressed by incorrect pressures, it can heal and the inflammation can go away.
While it might sound reasonable to advise people with foot pain to look for a new job or to give up their favorite activities in order to heal their feet, this is not really a solution in most cases. For many people with Plantar Fasciitis, the shape of their feet and the mismatch between their feet and the internal support of most kinds of shoes will lead to pain even when they are sitting or lying down.
Custom orthotics can help maintain foot health while also supporting gait changes and other improvements in the stability of the foot. These factors alone can greatly improve your pain if you have been struggling with Plantar Fasciitis and you will get more benefit from custom orthotics than you ever will from the reduction of activities or changing jobs.
Can I Run In My Orthotics to Avoid Plantar Fasciitis Pain?
The best part about custom orthotics is that they are made to match the shape of your feet perfectly. This means that you can run, jump, climb, and walk in your orthotics. You will be able to engage in activities that might have always caused you pain in the past and you will love that your shoes finally feel like they fit properly.
This is the biggest gift that is offered by custom orthotics for most people who have dealt with foot pain for all of their lives. Being able to engage in all of your favorite activities without pain is a huge blessing and custom orthotics can make this possible with ease. You will be able to run, jump, stand, and more in your orthotics and you will enjoy comfortable feet for the first time.
Always make sure that you do not return to intense activities until your feet have healed fully. You will want to add activities slowly back into your routine and you should never walk or run without your orthotics. These tools are the key to your foot health for the future and you want to be sure that you are supporting your feet correctly as you get back to your busy and active life.
Stretches and Custom Orthotics to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain – Yes, they can work!
If Plantar Fasciitis has caused you to experience intense foot pain and you are desperate for a solution, using the right stretching each day and supporting your feet with custom orthotics can make all the difference in your long-term foot health. Many people only apply one of these solutions to their problem which can lead to a recurring cycle of pain reduction and pain returning. Custom orthotics can provide a last solution for your Plantar Fasciitis by supporting your feet every day as you engage in all of your activities.
Custom orthotics used to be hard to have made for you but now you can order them online and get them delivered to you right away. Orthotics are an excellent tool to use to support and heal your feet and you will be glad that you took the time to order your own custom orthotics for your Plantar Fasciitis pain. Daily stretches and quality custom orthotics can help your feet to feel 100% again in no time!