Have you ever got out of bed to find that all you can manage
is a hobble for a walk? When every step
you take is pure agony for the first few minutes of walking around. You may find that you have a condition called
Plantar fasciitis. Needle-like pain is
often felt near the heel, on the sole of the foot. I suffered terribly from Plantars for a
number of years. In fact, I only
realised that I had it when I was studying for my Sports Massage Therapy
Diploma. I had to bring it to my medical
practitioner’s attention before I was officially diagnosed. The good news is that for such a shockingly
painful condition, it can be alleviated pretty quickly and effortlessly.
The Plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that runs from
the heel to the ball of the foot. It has
limited flexibility and a limited blood supply.
As the name suggests, Plantar fasciitis involves inflammation of this
tough fibrous tissue. It can even
involve microscopic tears and bleeding of the fascia. The healing process then creates scar tissue,
which unfortunately is inelastic and can cause further problems. So, don’t delay getting it treated.
What causes Plantars?
Tight calf muscles, excessive pronation (foot rolling inwards), sudden
take-offs, a change of shoes and changing to a new sport can all attribute to
this condition. So what can you do to treat it? Stretch and gently stretch,
and then stretch those calf muscles – that’s the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus
(see my Calf Muscle Blog for a reminder of these muscles and stretching protocols).
Buy a spikey ball, or use a rolling
pin, or tennis ball to stretch out the fascia by rolling either of them
underfoot. Go gently – you don’t want to
create more inflammation, I learnt the hard way and created a huge lump under
my foot from excessive pressure. Ice the sole of the foot for 5-10
minutes – frozen peas wrapped in a wet tea towel, or a cold bottle of beer is
good for this. Roll the bottle under
your foot (protect the floor first).
Drinking the beer after is optional – our Coach recommends a corn-based
beer for good running carbs! 
Ask your
Medical Practitioner to prescribe a plantarflexion foot splint for wearing in bed – not the most attractive item, but
needs must… Don’t try and walk to the
loo in the night with one of these boys on!
Get your partner some good ear plugs for when you unfasten the
industrial velcro tabs in the middle of the night so you don’t become too
unpopular!
The prognosis is good, but left untreated pain proliferates and
a predisposition to tears of the plantar fascia can occur.
Please contact me for more information and special offers at LSM. Bye for now!
