Plantar Fasciitis StretchesTOP 5 EXERCISES TO SOOTH HEEL PAIN

What Can Stretching Do For Heel Pain?

Stretching is an important component in treating planar fasciitis. Planar fasciitis is the swelling of the planar fascia which is the connective tissue that connects the heel bones to the toes.

Doctors recommend patients suffering from heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis to exercise their Achilles tendon, their foot as well as their calves.

Tightness of Achilles tendons can result in damaged planar fascia given that an individual’s flex of his or her ankles is greatly affected by the condition of the Achilles tendon.

5 Recommended Stretch Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis

1. Towel Stretch2. Standing Calf Stretch3. Plantar Fascia Stretch4. Frozen Can Roll Stretch5. Towel Pickup Stretch

1. Towel Stretch A rolled towel is needed for this

stretch and the patients should sit on a hard surface with their leg (the one with the planar fasciitis) stretched out in front of them.

The patients should then place the rolled towel around the ball of their feet then pull the towel inwards or towards them. The patients should make sure that his or her knees are straight when pulling the towel towards them.

This position should be held for 15 to 30 seconds. The affected leg can then be released from the stretch. The towel stretch should be repeated three times.

2. Standing Calf Stretch The patient should face a wall

and put their hand against it at eye level. The good leg should be kept forward while the affected leg should be kept at the back.

The patient then must turn the affected foot slightly inward as if doing a pigeon-toed pose while gradually leaning into the wall until the patient feels the stretch at the back of the affected leg calf.

This stretch should be held for 15 to 30 seconds and repeated three times. Patients are recommended to repeat this exercise several times in a day.

3. Plantar Fascia Stretch The patient must stand while the

ball of their injured foot placed on a staircase step. The individual must reach for the base step with his or her painful heel until the patient can feel the stretch on their foot.

This stretch should be held for 15 to 30 seconds and repeated three times.

4. Frozen Water Bottle Stretch As the name suggests, patients

will need a frozen water bottle or a can for this stretch. The patient must place the bare injured foot on the frozen bottle and roll the heel to the arch in frontward and backward motions on the can. The stretch should be repeated for about three to five minutes.

The frozen water bottle stretch is very helpful to lessen the pain experienced by patients during the first steps taken after waking up in the morning.

5. Towel Pickup Stretch The patient should pick up the

towel placed on the ground using their toes (of the injured foot) then drop the towel again. This stretch should be repeated 10 to 20 times.

When the patient finds this stretch too easy, then the patient can provide more resistance by placing a weight like a book or any other item on top of the towel.

Incorporating stretching exercises is an important step to recovering from plantar fasciitis and managing heel pain. Stretching exercises must be performed regularly – the consistency is the key!

Consult your physician prior to doing any of the exercise listed in this presentation. If you feel pain at any point during the exercise, stop immediately.

By stretching the key tissues that are tightening your plantar fascia, reliable pain reduction is experienced by many patients.