I
am gratefuL that I have not suffered from plantar fasciitis. I have
known many people who have. It sounds painful and debilitating. Plantar
fasciitis is the inflammation of the thick band of tissue, known as the
plantar fascia, which runs across the bottom of the foot. Simply put, it
connects your heel to your toes. 

The
role of a healthy plantar fascia is to help in the forward propulsion
of the walking process as it tenses and releases during each step.
Irritation and soreness results from this tissue spending too much time
in the tension phase. The common causes of plantar fasciitis are
obesity, flat feet, limited ankle mobility and weak foot/toe muscles.

 
Treatments
for plantar fasciitis have included orthotics, corticosteroid
injections and various physiotherapy practices such as ultrasound. In
many situations these methods only provide temporary relief because the
root of the problem is the immobility of the joints in hips, ankles and
feet. Once those joints are freed from the restrictions true healing can
begin.
Whether you’re suffering from plantar fasciitis or not these activities are great to make part of a regular routine:

•
Take your shoes (and socks when possible) off as much as you can.
Wearing shoes with any kind of arch support (most shoes have some kind
of arch support) is just as bad for the strength of your feet as is
sitting down with them propped up. For a muscle to get or be strong it
has to be loaded. Having arch support doesn’t let that happen. Walk
shoeless using your entire foot in each step every single day for as
long as you are able. When you’re sitting, spread and wiggle your toes.
You can also do a plantar fascia exercise by holding your toes (that
part of your foot) in one hand and your heel in the other and twist them
in opposite directions (wringing motion). It’s a great way of loosening
the tension that’s built up in there.
• When you have to wear shoes
choose ones with no heel, a wide toe box and that are as flexible as
possible. This allows all of the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the
foot to do what they are meant to do.
• Work on ankle flexibility by
moving it in all of the directions it can go. This can be done while
you’re sitting. Flex your foot, point your toes and then rotate in both
directions. Could it be any easier?
• The 90/90 position is great for hip mobility. Look it up online for direction on how to do it.
• Keep the muscles of your lower body flexible with a regular stretching routine (contact me at laurie@thepointforfitness.com for information).

It
really does come down to keeping the body moving in all of the ways it
was meant to move. The beautiful thing is that no matter how stiff and
sore we may feel, the right type and amount of movement can fix things.
I’ve discovered the hardest part is remembering to do the exercises on a
regular basis. Thank goodness for these smart phones and their built-in
alarms!
Something to think about. 

Laurie
Sweig is a certified personal fitness trainer and spinning instructor.
She owns and operates The Point for Fitness. She can be reached at laurie@thepointforfitness.com.