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If you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis you know how frustrating it is to get relief. Many people suffer from chronic foot, heel and arch pain for years and have tried countless traditional methods.
Most of these rehabilitation efforts fail because the focus in on diminishing inflammation. The current research has shown that plantar fasciitis is NOT an inflammatory condition, therefore anti-inflammatory attempts such as meds, cortisone shots, and rest provide no real correction.
I specialize in foot and gait mechanics and I have treated hundreds of cases of plantar fasciitis. It's important for me to share with you the most up-to-date content regarding the condition.
Plantar fasciitis is already so painful the last thing you want is to make it worse. Let's take a look at the 3 main causes of plantar fasciitis and how to successfully treat it at home.
Dr. Angela Walk
Chiropractic Physician
Foot Health Coach
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of foot and heel pain. It involves a strain and micro-tears of the plantar fascia, a thick, fibrous band that runs from your heel to your forefoot.
Symptoms include pain at the inside portion of the heel that is worse after prolonged periods of rest and with the first steps in the morning.
It is more appropriately called plantar fasciosis since inflammation plays a lesser or no role based on recent studies.
What Are The 3 Main Causes Of Plantar Fasciitis?
1. Limited dorsiflexion of the foot and ankle
2. Weak intrinsic foot and arch muscles
3. Scar tissue and fascial adhesions in the plantar fascia and calf muscles
Now, let's take a look at each of these components and how we can correct them.
1. Limited Dorsiflexion
One of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis is limited dorsiflexion. Dorsiflexion is the movement required when the toes are pointed up, or move toward your knee.
The cause of restricted dorsiflexion is loss of ankle mobility and calf tightness. If there is not enough motion in the ankle joint and calf muscles due to a lack of flexibility, it causes excessive stretching and perpetual tension on the plantar fascia.
The extra strain on the fascia leads to the break down or degeneration of the soft tissues. Increasing motion of the ankle joint and calf muscle is imperative to resolve plantar fasciitis.
There are two ways to increase flexibility within a muscle. Stretching AND strengthening.
Many people do not realize that strengthening the muscle actually increases range of motion and may be the best option for increasing mobility and reduce tightness.
Increasing Ankle Flexibility and Dorsiflexion:
To increase ankle mobility and dorsiflexion, performing kneeling ankle rocks is the most effective exercise. Rock forward while keeping your heel on the ground. Hold each stretch for 2 seconds and perform 10-15 repetitions.
Increasing Calf Muscle Flexibility:
The best way to strengthen and lengthen the calf muscles (the gastrocnemius/soleus complex) is with calf raises. Using a ball between the heels targets a specific muscle that provides arch stability. Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions twice daily.
2. Weak Intrinsic Foot Muscles
The second most common cause of plantar fasciitis is weak intrinsic muscles of the feet. The foot relies on a complex system of muscles on the bottom of our feet to provide support and postural stability of the arch.
Proper and complete treatment of most foot conditions requires that the strength and control of these muscles be addressed.
One of the most common causes of weak foot muscle is ill-fitting footwear. Most shoes are not designed to support the natural shape of our feet. It's baffling to me why most shoe manufacturers do not consider what truly makes a healthy shoe.
Your footwear should be wide in the toe box and not tapered or narrowed at the toe, have no elevation of the heel, and be flexible to bend and move. I recommend minimalist footwear and walking barefoot as much as possible.
Conventional footwear that tapers at the toe shifts and compresses our toes. This prevents our feet from functioning normally. When our feet and toes are restricted, it creates weakness and atrophy.
Traditional treatments for foot pain often include arch supports to provide relief. Sadly, overuse of these external devices only creates weaker feet.
Strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your feet with Short Foot Exercises as shown in the image below.
First, stand on one foot, and evenly distribute your body weight over the plantar foot.
Then, spread the digits. Make sure all toes are in touch with the ground.
Press the toes into the ground, and contract the arch of that foot.
Hold the short foot exercise for 2 seconds and repeat this 10-15 times. Perform daily!
3. Remove Scar Tissue & Fascial Adhesion
Scar tissue is also referred to as fascial adhesions, fascial restrictions, or simply “knots.” Think of scar tissue as the body’s duct tape.
When you walked too far in bad shoes, you overwhelmed the structural integrity of the plantar fascia and created small injuries. The body uses scar tissue like duct tape to create a quick “patch.”
Before the body can properly heal, you overwhelm the scar tissue patch, causing more scar tissue to be laid on top.
If fascial adhesions are present as in the case of PF, results from stretching may only be temporary. It would be similar to having a knot in a rope.
Pulling on the end of the rope does not release the knot, it only tightens the knot and makes it even more difficult to remove.
The same is true for muscles. If a knot (fascial adhesion) is present, stretching only makes the problem worse.
These fascial adhesions MUST be released before stretching is effective. Adhesions remain until they are removed. Rest, ice, stretching, and ibuprofen will not make them go away!
You may get some temporary relief, but once you resume your activities, the issue will make itself known once again. The best method to remove fascial adhesions in with a specific instrument.
I have used Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) in my practice for many years with great success. I have extensive training in these techniques including Graston Technique and Gua Sha.
It involves the use of a stainless steel instrument or stone to "scrape" away scar tissue adhesions. These tools greatly assist in soft tissue mobilization and improve blood flow to the affected area and in turn, release adhesions in the muscle tissue and create healing.
Many PF rehab protocols involve using a lacrosse ball, tennis ball, frozen bottle of water, or foam roller to release fascial adhesions, but these objects are just not as effective.
Take a look at this article to learn more about what causes plantar fasciitis scar tissue and how to remove it.
Can I Treat Plantar Fasciitis At Home?
As a chiropractor and foot specialist, I often see patients with plantar fasciitis after they’ve tried everything. Cortisone shots, night splints, ineffective stretching, and rolling on a frozen water bottle are a few of their failed remedies.
If you’re wondering how to treat plantar fasciitis at home, I want to share a few insights that have worked for my patients. The solution for most of my patients is through addressing multiple factors.
Improving limited ankle mobility and dorsiflexion
Strengthening weak intrinsic foot muscles
Stretching and strengthening the calf muscles and Achilles tendon
Wearing toes spacers for proper alignment of the toes and feet
Rarely is there a quick fix for PF. Identifying areas of weakness in the foot and ankle and restoring proper foot function is the most important piece of the puzzle.
I have created a step-by-step comprehensive guide on how to resolve Plantar Fasciitis at Home. Take a look at my FREE GUIDE here.
Other Helpful Tips:
In addition to the stretches, strengthening, and fascial recovery protocols mentioned above, these tips can help you pain and stiffness of the plantar fascia:
Transition to minimalist footwear that offers a wide toe box and no elevation of the heel.
Walk barefoot daily. Start with 20 minutes and increase daily
Running or walking on softer surfaces
Stay properly hydrated. It is critical for healing of muscles, joints, and fascia
Summary
The remedy to fighting these hidden causes of plantar fasciitis is to increase flexibility, strength, and mobility to your calf muscles and to restore your intrinsic foot function and strength with targeted exercises.
Dealing with the pain of plantar fasciitis can be life changing--but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence.
By arming yourself with knowledge and taking charge of your healing, you can get back to the activities you love and feel like yourself again.
One of the most IMPORTANT things you can do to fix your feet is to educate yourself fully about the condition. Follow Dr. Angela's social media pages for daily tips on footwear, exercises, and prevention on Facebook & Instagram!
If you have additional questions about heel pain and plantar fasciitis, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help get you back on your feet--literally.
Best of Health,
🦶Dr. Angela
I've written extensively on the topic of Plantar Fasciitis. Take a look at these other related blog posts:
Hi, I'm Dr. Angela Walk...
I have been involved in the health and wellness industry for over 20 years as a natural physician, chiropractor, and foot health coach.
I have written extensively for health publications and I am keenly aware of trends and new developments in natural health. I embrace an active lifestyle combining diet, exercise and healthy choices.
My goal is to inform my readers of natural options available to them in hopes of improving their health and quality of life.
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