When you're exercising and you suddenly feel like you're being stabbed in the heel with a knife, it might mean the onset of plantar fasciitis. This painful condition happens when the ligaments on the bottom of the feet are overly stressed by strain and repetitive impact. While drugs and surgery are options, changing your fitness routine and adding extra stretching and strengthening exercises may stave off more drastic measures.
Understanding the Plantar Fascia
The plantar fascia is a thick band of fibrous connective tissue that starts at the heel band and fans out across the sole of the foot, attaching at the base of each toe. This band is the leg's shock absorber, and stabilizes the bones in the feet during impact. But overuse of the foot can tear or damage the tissue, resulting in inflammation, pain and stiffness.
High-Risk Groups
Certain people are especially likely to suffer from plantar fasciitis. Runners, tennis players, aerobic dancers, basketball players, and volleyballers all subject their feet to a lot of impact. People new to exercise are also at high risk. Overweight people are in danger, as are those who work long hours on their feet. People with foot abnormalities, who are either flatfooted or have exceptionally high arches, also might get plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately, it's a hard to condition to overcome. According to the Sports Injury Bulletin website, approximately 10 percent of patients who consult a doctor for plantar fasciitis have still not recovered a year later.
Lower the Impact
Until their condition improves, runners and walkers should decrease their mileage. MayoClinic.com suggests substituting swimming or bicycling for high-impact activities. Eventually most people can resume their original activities, but some stubborn cases of plantar fasciitis might require permanent changes in exercise regimens.
Stretching Away Plantar Fasciitis
Stretching the calves, hamstrings and feet will help improve plantar fasciitis. A simple calf stretch can be done facing a wall, with one foot in front of the other, the front knee bent. By pushing the hips toward the wall while pressing the back foot into the ground, the calf stretches. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website advises holding this stretch for 10 seconds, and repeating it 20 times for each foot. To stretch the plantar fascia, you can stand barefoot with just your toes up a wall, then slowly rotate the weight from the inside of the foot to the outside.
Strengthening the Plantar Fascia
Developing the muscles in the feet and legs, and improving balance and stability, will make the body move more efficiently during exercise, thus decreasing the damaging impact that causes plantar fasciitis. One useful exercise is toe walking, which involves taking small steps forward while standing high on the balls of the feet, with the toes flexed up. Another exercise works the feet in the opposite direction by standing with the bare feet parallel, then alternating between scrunching the left toes under, then the right, until you slowly start to move forward.
