Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is very common, and chances are good you will at some point have someone come to your class who has been diagnosed with it or who has pain in that area and you might suspect it.

What is plantar fascia

Plantar fascia is a strong band of tissue (ligament) that covers the bottom of the foot and stretches from your heel to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot as well as acts as a shock-absorber in your foot.  If you strain the plantar fascia or over use it, the tissue can become inflamed and swollen, causing Plantar Fasciitis.

Symptoms

Pain is the main symptom, and it occurs around the heel of the foot. The pain is usually the worst first thing in the morning or after long periods of rest because the fascia is not stretched or used while resting.

Causes

Plantar fasciitis is caused by straining the plantar fascia. Repeated strain can cause tiny tears in the ligament and can cause severe pain.  Here are a few common reasons this may be more likely to happen:

• If you have high arches or flat feet'
• If you are overweight
• If you walk, stand for long periods of time or run, especially on hard surfaces. So, certain athletes may be more prone to it.
• If you have tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons.
• If your shoes do not fit well.

How can you help?

If someone comes to your class with the symptoms you just read about, you will never try to diagnose or treat the person.  It would be good to suggest that they have their doctor check it out so that they know what they are dealing with and how to treat it.  If someone comes to your class that has been diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis, they will most likely have directions from their doctor and clearance to exercise.  This is important because there are sometimes severe cases in which exercise can actually worsen their symptoms.  As long as they have been given the ok to exercise, having a regular routine of Pietra Fitness classes is one of the best preventative measures, because the exercises we do stretches and strengthens the calves, arches and Achilles tendon.  Other tips you may offer:

• Every time before they get out of bed, point and flex the feet a few times to stretch everything out. This may help lessen the pain first thing in the morning.\
• Explain to them that they can do a self-message at home by sitting in a chair and rolling the arches of the foot over a tennis ball or golf ball (of course, shoes are off!).
• Our lunge exercises can help, but if anything causes pain in class, they should stop the exercise and rest. They may want to go to “Legs up the Wall” Pose, or “Modified Shoulder Stand”, because it is good for resting the feet.
• Any pose on their toes like “Heel Sit on Toes” is great for stretching the plantar fascia.

Hopefully, you will be an aid in helping someone get through their bout of plantar fasciitis as well as help prevent it from coming back!