Plantar Fasciitis is a painful and frustrating condition that can turn into a chronic one if not taken care of. It's one of the most common causes of heel pain and is most common in runners and those with flat feet.
The pain is usually described as a stabbing feeling at the bottom of the foot, more specifically in the "plantar fascia" which is responsible for absorbing shock when you walk and supporting the arch of the foot. This happens when that area is continuously strained without enough time for stretching or relief.
How Can I Relieve Pain Caused by Plantar Fasciitis?
While sometimes this can become a chronic ailment, it's very important to try to break down the tension in the plantar fascia before it becomes sturdy and tough. So here are a few ways in which you can relieve pain and tension at the same time without the need for meds or needles!
Kneading
The best way to go about kneading the bottoms of your feet is best demonstrated by Dr. Jo, where she explains that you should sit down on a chair and cross one leg over the other, bring your foot up and rest on your knee. Put both hands over your calf and with your fingers in the front & thumbs in the back. slowly work up and down the calf muscle and eventually to the sole of the foot, the source of the pain.
Ball Massage
While sitting down, put a golf ball or rubber ball under the arch of your foot. Lightly push down on your foot and roll the ball down the length of your foot for about a minute, regulating the pressure based on how much you can tolerate. Do this for about a minute.
Electrical Stimulation
The newest innovation for pain relief is electrical stimulation, more specifically TENS units. We highly recommend the VPod, which has 24 different functions (one of which includes a specific kneading function for this exact ailment!). With a wide variety of intensity settings, you can adjust the VPod to exactly how long and strong you need your session to be. The VPod is a wireless unit that connects to the free VPod app (found everywhere apps are available) is a wireless unit with TENS/EMS/NMES technologies. Visit VPod.Life for more information.
Happy Healing!
