3 Ways to Improve Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that affects the heel of the foot. This pain usually feels like a dull ache but can be more intense, like a throbbing pain. It is located at the base of the heel and is caused by tiny tears in the plantar fascia, which is the ligament on the bottom of your foot that stretches from your heel to your toes. This pain can be very frustrating to live with, but there are a few simple ways to manage the pain and improve your symptoms.
Stretch Your Feet
When the plantar fascia is tight, that’s when tears are more likely to occur and bring about plantar fasciitis pain. Regular stretching of both your feet and calves will help ease the pain. You can roll a tennis ball under the arch of your foot, flex and then point your feet repetitively, or gently pull back on a flexed foot with a straight leg with a towel or belt. You can also freeze a plastic water bottle and roll that under the arch of your foot, which will help you stretch as well as ice your foot to help relieve pain.
Relax and Elevate
Plantar fasciitis pain tends to be worse when you’ve been walking or standing for a long time, or when getting up after sitting for a while. While moving and stretching can help relieve the pain if it’s due to long periods of inactivity, sometimes you may need to rest and relax your feet to alleviate the discomfort. In that case, sit or lie down and elevate your feet to help ease the stress on your plantar fascia.
Seek Chiropractic Care
While traditional methods of pain relief may work at times, you don’t want to rely on medication and short-term solutions for plantar fasciitis pain. Instead, aim to get to the root of the problem with safe and effective chiropractic care. This natural solution will improve the health of your central nervous system, as well as your entire musculoskeletal system. When your body is working more effectively, inflammation will be less of an issue and your ligaments will be able to repair themselves more thoroughly. This means more stamina in standing and walking with less pain all around, particularly in your feet.
Dr. Brendan Shanahan and Dr. Thomas Madigan are chiropractors at Vitality Precision Chiropractic in Rochester Hills. They are experts in the nervous system and their neurologically-based chiropractic technique is safe, natural, and effective at alleviating stress on the body and painful symptoms, as well as optimizing the function and overall health of your body. Contact Dr. Brendan and Dr. Thomas at Vitality Precision Chiropractic today to learn more about chiropractic care and how it can help your plantar fasciitis.