Plantar fasciitis isn’t a pain exclusive to runners, but a lot of people become very aware of it as they up their mileage. And we mean a lot: It’s one of the top five most common injuries among runners, according to a systematic review Stand about arms length from a wall or chair with both palms flat against it.
“The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue on the bottom of your foot that runs from your heels to the base of your toes,” Adefemi Betiku, D.P.T., C.S.C.S. a physical therapist in New Jersey tells Runner’s World. “It supports your foot during weight-bearing activities and helps propel you forward while you’re running. And if you overdo it or have weakness in other areas of your body, it can become inflamed.”
The “-itis” in plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation. That being said, “some recent research suggests it’s actually a degenerative-tissue injury, and that’s why it’s often chronic,” Hamish Vickerman, an Australian physiotherapist who developed the Fasciitis Fighter line of products, explains to Runner’s World. Because of the evolving understanding of the condition, you might hear people refer to it as fasciopathy or plantar heel pain.
Whatever you call it, it’s excruciatingly painful—with a telltale, shooting pain along the sole of your foot from the heel to the arch.
“In mild cases, the pain may improve or ‘warm up’ during activity but then become sore afterward, similar to an irritated tendon,” says Vickerman. He notes that the ache is often also worst during your first few steps in the morning, because the fascia Pull toes toward you.
Most Common Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
Step right foot back pain in your foot caused by plantar fasciitis. “An episode of plantar fasciitis can be triggered by a new or seasoned runner by increasing their volume, speed, or intensity too quickly,” says Vickerman. “We often see training errors, such as sudden spikes or increases in training loads. When that happens, it’s likely the tissue can’t manage the demands and we see failure at a cellular level.”
The -itis in plantar fasciitis refers to the running shoes could also be the culprit—so it might help to buy a new pair or get orthotics to slip into your shoes and give your arches some extra cushion.
Another sneaky cause could be an ache in a seemingly unrelated body part, says Betiku, who always checks a person’s back and hips Then bend right leg until you feel the stretch lower down calf. Hold for 30 seconds.
If possible, taking a couple weeks off from running to give your feet some rest and recovery is ideal, says Betiku. But if you have an upcoming race and really don’t want to, taking days off isn’t always crucial. However, you should still cut your mileage in half for a couple weeks at least. And, of course, if you’re in a lot of pain, consult a physical therapist.
While you cut back, add the moves below to your sessions to help loosen up the tightness and strengthen all the surrounding, supportive muscles at once. You can also perform these moves as a preventative measure so you don’t get plantar fasciitis or to avoid getting it again.
In addition to these moves, it’s also smart to add some myofascial release to your routine: Roll your foot on a lacrosse or tennis ball, or over a frozen water bottle, which will help to reduce inflammation.
7 Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis
1. Toe Stretch
Why it works: Plantar Fasciitis Exercises to Help You Nix Foot Pain “stretching the plantar fascia has been demonstrated to be a successful technique in the treatment of plantar fasciitis, with particular emphasis on mobilizing the big toe,” says Vickerman.
How to do it:
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- Grasp toes with right hand and pull back, focusing the most on big toe, until you feel a stretch along your arch.
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- Then repeat on opposite side.
2. Calf and Soleus Stretch
Why it works: We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back calves can help ease the stress they’re adding to your plantar fascia. Make sure to do both plantar fasciitis stretches to target both sections of your calves: the upper gastrocnemius and the lower soleus, advises Betiku.
How to do them:
- Stand about arm’s length from a wall or chair with both palms flat against it.
- Step right foot back.
- pain in your foot.
- Then bend right leg until you feel the stretch lower down calf. Master the Half.
- Repeat both stretches on opposite side.
3. Toe Lift
Why it works: “Isolated toe lifts help strengthen the muscles that run along the arch of the foot and support the plantar fascia region,” says Vickerman. You will likely feel some relief in the pain when you do this plantar fasciitis stretch.
How to do it:
- Stand or sit with bare feet flat on floor.
- Keeping four smaller toes pressed into floor, lift big toe.
- Pause, then lower slowly.
- Then, keeping big toe pressed into floor, lift four smaller toes.
- Then, keeping big toe pressed into floor, lift four smaller toes.
- Pause, then lower slowly.
- Then, keeping big toe pressed into floor, lift four smaller toes.
4. Towel Scrunch
Why it works: “This move works the tiny, intrinsic muscles in your foot, which help support the arch and surrounding area while you run,” says Betiku.
How to do it:
- Place a towel flat on the floor and put right foot flat on an edge of it.
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- Repeat with left foot.
5. Heel Raise
Why it works: The foot-strengthening power of this move is amped up when you do it on a step, with the plantar fascia taut at the start of the exercise. “First do the move with both feet in unison, then progress to one leg at a time,” says Betiku.
How to do it:
- Stand with the ball of each foot on the edge of a step, with heels hanging off it so foot is flexed.
- Engage calves and lift heels.
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- Then, keeping big toe pressed into floor, lift four smaller toes.
6. Clamshell
Why it works: Plantar fasciitis can steam from weak hips, This stretch for your strengthening the hips.
How to do it:
- Lie on right side, resistance band around thighs, just above knees. Rest head on right arm. Stack shoulders, hips, and knees, with hips and knees bent about 45 degrees.
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- Pause. Then lower back down.
- Then, keeping big toe pressed into floor, lift four smaller toes.
- Then switch sides.
7. Four-Way Foot Flex
Why it works: This exercise strengthens the muscles of the foot, but also those of the lower leg that attach to the ankle and help support your feet as you run, Betiku says.
How to do it:
- k Pace Chart.
- Loop a long resistance band around left foot, and hold in both hands.
- Pull toes toward you.
- Pause. Then return to neutral, toes over ankle.
- Next, point toes against resistance band (shown left).
- Pause. Then return to neutral.
- Drive foot to the left (shown right).
- Pause. Then return to center.
- along the sole of your foot from the heel to the arch.
- Pause. Then return to center. That’s one rep. Do 10 reps.
- Then switch sides.
