What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is the cause of heel pain and one of the most common orthopedic complaints. It involves pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot, from the heel to the base of your toes.
What are the symptoms?
Pain and stiffness at the bottom of the heel which may be dull or intense. In some cases the pain feels like a sharp stabbing pain or a burning sensation on the bottom of the foot extending outward from the heel.
What causes it?
There is no single cause and each person is examined case by case. If you are overweight more pressure is placed on your plantar fascia ligaments. If you are a runner or have recently increased your walking distance without investing in good shoes with proper arch support, you are more likely to develop plantar fascia problems. Tight calve muscles can also contribute to plantar fasciitis. No matter what the cause, you are more susceptible to developing chronic heel pain if you ignore the condition and this can ultimately change the way you walk and cause injury to your legs, knees, hips and back.
What can I do?
The best way to manage your plantar fasciitis is to be mindful of your alignment and do “reset” exercises. According to Max Health Institute, here is a list of the 6 most commonly found movement dysfunctional patterns related to plantar fasciitis type pain as well as exercises to help reset your alignment to manage your pain as well as take preventative measures.
Get ready, reset and go:
1. Side Gliding in Standing
We often “favour” our non-injured side by shifting our weight to the opposite side to limit the discomfort felt from pain in the ankle, knee, hip or back. When this happens, the result is that the bulk of your body weight has now shifted onto your other leg which could trigger other injuries. One way to make sure you are standing in alignment is to check your side gliding in front of a mirror. Stand with your feet at approximately shoulder width apart and keep your pelvis straight by slightly tightening your glutes. Move your pelvis and body to the opposite direction while keeping your shoulder level on the same horizontal plane. Repeat this exercise about 6 times and hold for 6 seconds. Continue to check your alignment.
