Plantar Fascia


	Home
	SET Therapy
	ERT
	Treating Scoliosis
	SET For Athletes
	Books & Brochures
	Published Articles Controlling Details ITB F.L.A.S.H. Energy Performance Pain Plantar Fascia Water & the Body
	Coaching
	Seminars
	About Greg
	Testimonials
	Links of Interest
	Contact Us

Treating Plantar Fascia Problems

Greg Spindler, LMT, CSET

The nasty gripping tension of inflammation on the Plantar Fascia area of the foot brings back memories of training for the Disney marathon in 1994. Anyone who has had this condition can relate to those first steps of the morning that feel like stepping on pins and needles. While I hobbled about until the area warmed up and lengthened, running was the last thing on my mind. Daily, I would call my mother who, at the time, was a physical therapist in Gainesville. She had experience treating the great runners of the good ole’ days including Marty Liqouri, Barry Brown, and world champion sprinter Steve Williams. I begged for some advice on what to do. “What’s the magical treatment plan?” I asked. Her recommendations of rest, ice and stretching just weren’t good enough for me. Oh yeah, and there was, of course, the option of injections.

This tough area of the foot that connects from the heel all the way up to the toes, is very important to everyday life for anyone who can walk. Even those who have daily tasks which require constant standing for hours on their feet can result in plantar strains. This can lead to bone spurs (calcium deposits and/or growths) once the tendon is pulled from the bone attachment.

Try some of these self-treatments for isolated quick fixes:

1. Following all activities, place your entire foot and lower leg in a large bucket of ice-water for

10 - 15 minutes.

2. Stretching is recommended as long as no inflammation is evident. Place your foot against a curb to bend the toes back and lean your knee past the toe box. Or, roll a golf ball under your foot as a stretching/massage technique. But be careful, this technique can be addicting and could lead to bruising.

3. Use your fingertips to massage your foot from the toes to the heel insertion with broad strokes as well as individual fiber strokes.

4. Strengthen the foot by grabbing a towel with your toes and pulling. You can add weight or resistance as needed.

Finding the cause for your plantar fascia is the key to preventing the condition from returning.

Ask yourself these questions:

Is it time for new or more appropriate shoes? There is a kinesiology test that you can use to check them.

What types of surfaces am I running on? Are they angled or too hard?

Am I overweight for the distance traveled?

Am I increasing mileage or activity-level too quickly? Am I following the 10% rule?

Do I have postural imbalances that lead to too much stress on the supinated or pronated foot?

These questions are actually in reverse order. If you have a postural imbalance, you are likely to get injured no matter how much you weigh. A postural imbalance with accelerated mileage is almost guaranteed to lead to plantar, ITB, and Achilles tendonitis problems. A postural imbalance is evident when running on slanted surfaces because running shoes wear out faster than normal (under 300 miles). So, if you’re going through shoes more rapidly than normal, there is a good chance of a postural imbalance.

Try to assess yourself: Is your foot under your hip? Is your knee medially rotated with the foot laterally rotated? Is one hip lower than the other? Is the arch of the foot collapsed or high? If you find it difficult to see for yourself, ask someone else to help you with this. Often, you’ll self-correct as you look at yourself in a mirror.

The proper treatment of plantar fascia needs to address the entire leg in a proper sequence. This will take the strain off the whole system leading to the plantar area and give the body more support to heal. Not doing so would only complicate this issue and bring on more problems down the road. Treat the cause, not the symptom!