Legs Often Pain When Used To Walk? Overcome with These Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis
Exercises for plantar fasciitis include calf stretches, rolling stretches, and picking up marbles using your toes. Not only that, some home remedies can also help reduce pain.
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the tissue that connects the heel and toes (plantar fascia). The pain experienced by people with plantar fasciitis will feel very stabbing when they start to move after sitting still for a long time.
Various ways can be done to overcome plantar fasciitis, one of which is by doing certain exercise movements. However, before knowing what exercises for plantar fasciitis are, it’s a good idea to know what causes this condition.
# What causes plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is caused by tearing of the fibers connecting the fascia due to too much tension and pressure. This repetitive stretching and tearing are what triggers plantar fasciitis.
Several factors also increase your risk of developing plantar fasciitis, including:
- Age between 40 to 60 years old
- Being overweight (obesity), the fascia connecting fibers get excess pressure
- Doing jobs that require standing for long periods of time, such as teachers and factory workers
- Frequently do activities or sports that put a lot of pressure on the heel and its attached tissues, such as ballet, long-distance running, and aerobics
# Exercises to treat plantar fasciitis
To treat plantar fasciitis, you can practice by applying certain movements. Here are some recommended exercises to treat plantar fasciitis that can be done at home:
Calf stretch
Muscle tension in the feet and calves can make the pain of plantar fasciitis worse. To relieve pain caused by plantar fasciitis, you can do calf stretches.
- Lean against the wall with your palms facing the wall
- Straighten the knee of the leg that is experiencing pain
- Keep both feet flat on the ground
- Make sure the heel and calf of the painful foot feel a stretching sensation
- Bend the other knee forward
- Hold that position for 10 seconds
- Repeat 2 to 3 times
Rolling stretch
Stretching by placing and using a round object under your foot that is rolled back and forth can help relax tense leg muscles. To perform this movement, you can use a rolling pin, golf ball, or foam roller.
- Sit in an upright position in a chair
- Put a round object under the soles of the feet
- Roll the round object back and forth by slightly pressing the sole of the foot
- Repeat back and forth for 2 minutes
Stretching of fascia connecting fibers
To do this stretch, you don’t need any tools. This exercise for plantar fasciitis only needs to be done using your hands and sitting in an upright position.
- Sit in a chair straight
- Raise the leg that hurts to the thigh of the other leg
- Grasp the foot using the opposite hand (example: the left foot is held with the right hand)
- Pull your toes towards your shins
- Place the other hand on the bottom of the foot to feel the tension in the plantar fascia
- Hold that position for 10 seconds
- Repeat the movement 2 to 3 times a day, with 10 repetitions for each session
Leg flexing
Flexing the leg can help increase blood flow to the painful area. In addition, this method can also help relieve tension in the calves of the feet. To do this, you must prepare an elastic strap that is usually used for sports.
- Sit on the floor, straighten your legs
- Tie one side of the elastic strap on the sole of the foot that feels pain, and pull the other end using your hand
- Push the feet away from the body, do it gently and slowly
- Return to the starting position, repeat the movement 10 times
Squeezing the towel with the feet
In doing this exercise for plantar fasciitis, you need to prepare a towel in advance. The motion of squeezing the towel with your feet helps stretch your leg and calf muscles.
- Sit on a chair with both feet on the towel that has been placed on the floor first
- Squeeze the center of the towel using your toes
- Roll the towel towards you using your feet
- Relax the legs, and repeat this movement 5 times
- To get optimal results, do the motion of squeezing a towel with your feet before walking or doing activities in the morning
Picking up marbles
Just as the name suggests, you need to prepare the marbles first before doing this move. The movement of picking up marbles with your toes can help flex as well as stretch tense muscles.
- Sit in a chair straight, bend your knees and make sure your feet are flat on the floor
- Place 20 marbles in a bowl, pick them up one by one by holding them with your toes.
- After successfully removing everything, do the same movement to return the marbles to the bowl
# Other ways to deal with plantar fasciitis
In addition to exercises with certain movements, there are still several actions you can take to treat plantar fasciitis. A number of home remedies to help relieve pain from plantar fasciitis include:
- Rest for a while until the pain due to inflammation subsides
- Compressing the painful area of the foot using ice cubes
- Taking or applying pain relievers to reduce inflammation
- Gently and slowly massage the arch of the foot that causes pain to relieve symptoms
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by excessive pressure on the tissue that connects the heel and toes. To overcome this, you can practice using certain movements.
Some exercises for plantar fasciitis, include calf stretches, rolling stretches, and picking up marbles using your toes. Not only that, several other home treatments such as compressing the feet using ice, taking pain relievers, and massaging the arch of the foot can also help overcome this condition.
If your condition does not improve after doing exercises and home remedies, consult a doctor immediately. Treatment as early as possible can reduce the risk of your condition getting worse.