Submitted by Penrose Physical Therapy
Most of us who have had plantar fasciitis know how awful it is to take those first steps out of bed in the morning. It feels like we are walking on broken glass in the heel and arch area. Plantar fasciitis runs in about 10% of the population and accounts for almost 8% of all running injuries.
I want to give you one exercise that has been shown in a recent study to give quicker pain relief than the usual course of treatment of orthotics, stretching, massage, ice. You can refer to the article here as well.
This one exercise shows how you stand on a step with a rolled towel under your toes only to push your toes in an upward/dorsiflexed position. (Photo 1) Placing your toes in this position loads the plantar fascia in the correct way to strengthen it. Pay close attention to the set up. The towel should only be under the toes right before the area that you bend your toes. It is very important to do this exercise extremely slow or it will not work.
Take 3 seconds to go up on toes, hold at the top of the range for 2 full seconds, then take 3-4 seconds to lower down. See the picture showing the heels going below the level of the step. (2nd picture)
Repeat 12 times, 3 sets, every other day. At 4 weeks you want to progress to doing this with one leg at a time. (Photo 3 and 4)
After 2 more weeks of that you should progress to wearing a back pack with weights/books or weighted vest to increase the load. At the same time you decrease your repetitions to 10 and increasing sets to 4 every other day. Over time load is progressed and then after 4 more weeks the repetitions should be 8 and sets of 5 every other day. You should follow this protocol for 3 months at a minimum.
This is a progressive loading program for the plantar fascia. It also helps increase ankle flexibility, foot & calf strength. The exercise can be slightly painful but it should not be excessively painful. If so then you may need a physical therapist to further evaluate your condition and look at your walking/gait mechanics as well.
This exercise showed at three months significant decreased pain and return to levels of activities such as running compared to the group who only did stretching. The article does point out at 6 months and 12 months the stretching group and the exercise group had similar results; however the exercise loading group achieved less pain faster.
At Penrose Physical Therapy we are committed to using the latest evidence to get you better faster! We also will look at your walking/gait and play back in slow motion to see if there is something mechanical contributing to your foot pain. We do use orthotics when it makes sense but we find great value in helping the body get strong again in order to tolerate the stress of walking/standing/running.
Jennifer Penrose, DPT, OCS, MTC
1445 Galaxy Dr. Suite 301 in Lacey
360-456-1444
