You’re Foots On Fire: Plantar Fasciitis Cures

Does it feel like your heel is on fire when you stretch your leg out? If you’re a runner or jogger, then you might have either Achilles tendonitis or planter fascitis. These are two of the most common injuries that plaque runners. One common cause of these problems are tight fascia in the calf muscles. That’s right, the issue stems from higher up on your leg.

Planter fascitis is felt on the bottom of your foot, near the heel. It’s bad in the morning, and then gets better as the day goes on. Achilles tendonitis can cause pain in the heel, even though the Achilles tendon is on the back of your foot. It’s not something that is worse in the morning; you usually feel it when you stretch your foot out.

Caution: If the pain is severe, such that you have trouble walking and fear something is wrong. GO TO A PHYSICIAN. You don’t want to risk a ruptured Achilles tendon. This is a severe injury that you cannot treat yourself.

There are other things to consider:

Severe overpronation can lead to tendonitis. If your shoes show a typical overpronation wear pattern (the inside of the sneaker wears away quicker than the outer edge) then you should try and correct your running pattern, and definitely pick up sneakers that are designed for overpronaters. I have an article on the best sneakers for overpronation here.

Also, make sure you are getting enough magnesium in your diet. A lack of magnesium can lead to muscle problems, which in turn can cause tendon and fascia pain. A good way to get more magnesium into your diet, especially for runners who might want a drink with electrolytes, is to start drinking coconut water. Coconut water is rich in potassium and magnesium, which are both important for muscle health.

Stretching For Planter Fascitis and Achilles Tendonitis

A simple way to start helping to prevent heel and foot pain is to do stretches. Some people suggest lowered calf dips, but there is some debate about this. Some physiologists say that the calves and tendons are not designed to accommodate the stress this exercise puts on them, so I would caution against them. Calf dips, in case you were unsure, are when you stand on a raised surface such as a stair ledge with your heels sticking out and then lower your body down.

A great stretch is one called the gastroc stretch. One of the videos below will illustrate it. But basically you stand in front of a wall, place your hands on the wall and then put one leg stretched out behind you. You then lean in to the wall with your hips, while keeping the stretched leg in place. It will stretch out the gastroc muscle in your calf.

Active Massage of Your Calf For Heel Pain

You should also be massaging your calf. You can do this with your hands, but a better solution is to get a foam roller designed for your foot and calf. These foam rollers for runners are smaller than the large ones that work out and massage your quads, delts, lats, and larger muscle groups. If you already have one of them you could use it, but the smaller ones are more convenient. You can sit on your couch watching Netflix and roll out your calf muscle. With the larger ones you will have to get down on the floor and use them.

Here are two massage sticks that will help with myofascial release. One of them is flexible, the other is stiff. People find that different ones work better with their body depending on a few factors. One thing is how deep you want to hit the muscle. The other is how lean you are. If you’re looking for deep tissue massage, then you want a stiff stick. If you want surface massage that you can do after each run, and you’re on the leaner side with muscular legs, then a flexible stick is good.

Clifs:

Flexible-Good for everyday use. Won’t hit deep tissue as well as a stiff stick.

Stiff- Excellent for deep tissue myofascial release. Not something you would use every day. A couple of times a week.

Flexible Muscle “Stick”

 

This is known as “The Stick”. It gained popularity because marathoners and other long distance runners found it helped keep the calf muscles loose and limber. It’s perfect for hitting the deep tissue that you are looking to get at. It’s flexible and will get all the pressure points.

 

Elite Muscle Massage Stick

This is another option. It’s great for working out your calf muscles. You can also use it to hit the deltoilds, if you don’t own a large foam roller. It’s small and stiff. So if you prefer a stiff muscle roller stick to a flexible one, then this is a good pick.