Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, with 2 million patients treated every year in the United States alone. The condition can be difficult to resolve, and it can take weeks or months before symptoms disappear. Stretching is one way to provide long-term pain relief and improve flexibility in your foot and heel.
Identification
The plantar fascia is a thick bank of tissue on the bottom of your foot between your heel bone and toes. When it becomes inflamed from overuse, obesity, pregnancy or ill-fitting shoes, it can cause symptoms such as a stabbing pain right after you get out of bed or when you stand up after sitting for a period of time. The condition usually develops gradually, and typically only affects one foot at a time.
Stretching
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends several stretches to help alleviate plantar fasciitis pain. These include the calf stretch, where you lean forward against a wall with one knee straight and heel on the ground, while the other leg is in front, with knee bent. Do another stretch by sitting down, crossing the affected foot over the knee of your opposite leg and grabbing the toes toward you. Researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center also found that using a static progressive stretch brace was as helpful in relieving pain and stiffness as manual stretching.
Expert Insight
A two-year study and follow-up of patients with plantar fasciitis gauged the effects of the seated stretching protocol referenced above in treating heel inflammation. The results, published in the "Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery" in 2003 and 2006, revealed that within three to six months of performing the stretch, patients had a 75 percent chance of having no pain and returning to full activity, and about half of the patients did not need any further treatment. A more recent study from Germany, published in November 2010 in the same journal, found that stretching exercises were superior to the repetitive low-energy radial shock-wave therapy often used to treat acute symptoms.
Considerations
Although 90 percent of patients with plantar fasciitis recover with stretching and other home-care therapies in a few months, MayoClinic.com cautions that if you're one of the remaining 10 percent, you may need medications such as corticosteroids, night splints, orthotics or even surgery. Surgical treatment is usually the last course of action, since it can lead to a weakening in the arch of your foot.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Plantar Fasciitis
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Plantar Fasciitis and Bone Spurs
- "The Journal of Bone and Joint Urgery"; Plantar Fascia-specific Stretching Versus Radial Shock-wave Therapy as Initial Treatment of Plantar Fasciopathy; JD Rompe, et al.; November 2010
- "Foot and Ankle Specialist"; Static progressive stretch brace as a treatment of pain and functional limitations associated with plantar fasciitis: a pilot study; NK Sharma, et al.; April 2010
- "The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery"; Tissue-Specific Plantar Fascia-Stretching Exercise Enhances Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Heel Pain; Benedict F. DiGiovanni, M.D., et al.; 2003
