Ultimate Guide to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a very common pain we diagnose here at Elevate Physiotherapy. Oftentimes, it is something that can be prevented with just a few different steps. Furthermore, this can be a challenging injury to overcome as the length of treatment varies from a few weeks to months to be treated. Thus, in this blog, we discuss how to prevent this injury and be at your very best.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a heel pain caused by inflammation of a web-like ligament at the bottom of your foot known as the plantar fascia. We have a covered a previous blog post about this and discuss its symptoms.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
There can be a multitude of factors that can cause plantar fasciitis. Listed below are just a few common reasons why it could cause plantar fasciitis and the pain involved:
– People who have a high BMI
– Flat feet
– Sudden increase load/stress on the feet
Prevention Is Better Than Treatment
Strengthening
Doing calf raises with a towel under your toes has been shown to effective in reducing pain as well as preventing the onset of this injury. You should aim to be able to do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Each repetition should be 3 seconds up, 2 seconds hold at the top and 3 seconds downward. In total, 1 repetition should be 8 seconds. The recommended frequency for this exercise is every other day.
Stretching
On top of strengthening, you should stretch the plantar fascia as shown in the picture below. We recommend you stretch it for 10 second holds for 10 repetitions. You can repeat this procedure 3-4 times a day.
Correct Shoe Choice
Shoes with lack of support in the insoles or flat bottom may cause the plantar fascia to flare up especially if you have flat feet. If you have shoes with insoles that are removable, you can also buy over the counter arch support insoles.
If there is still pain, even when you have undertaken these steps to prevent plantar fasciitis, it could very well be another injury that has similar symptoms. Under these circumstances, we highly recommend you contact us or book an appointment with one of our therapists to be accurately diagnosed.
Principal Physiotherapist
Winsen Citra