35 years ago, Canadian Terry Fox made history with his Marathon of Hope, and Canadians have been celebrating his spirit and accomplishments ever since. This year’s event will be held on September 20, with the Collingwood 2.5K, 5K and 10K races starting at Harborview Park. All racers know that foot pain can really put a cramp in your running style, and heel pain from plantar fasciitis is one of the worst. Fortunately, massage for heel pain has been shown to be quite effective.
There are several ways to stretch and massage your plantar fascia and heel:
- Before you even get out of bed in the morning, sit on the edge and cross the leg with the painful foot over your other one. Lean forward and grasp your toes and ball of that foot, and pull it toward you slightly until you feel a gentle tug on the ligament along your sole. Hold 15 – 30 seconds, and repeat this 5 times. If this makes your foot hurt worse, stop and call us so we can see whether something more serious like a stress fracture or torn ligament could be causing your discomfort.
- You can also try resting that foot over your other thigh, and gently rubbing along the plantar fascia and heel bone with one hand while pulling back on the toes with the other to massage and stretch the ligament.
- To stretch the ligament while standing, face a wall and put your hands on it at shoulder height. Set the sore foot behind the other, keeping both heels on the floor. Then bend your knees slightly until you feel the stretch under your foot and in your calf muscles.
- While seated, you can roll your arch over a golf ball, tennis ball, or frozen water bottle for several minutes to massage and cool the inflamed tissue.
Massage is a great home remedy, but if your pain persists, don’t put off a visit to Abbott Foot & Ankle Clinic in Collingwood, ON. We offer effective treatment for plantar fasciitis with custom orthotics that help realign your foot bones while supporting your arch, so you can say goodbye to plantar fasciitis heel pain for good. Simply dial (705) 444-9929 to reach us or fill out the contact form on our website.