Plantar Fasciitis Stretching Exercises

Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the ligament that connects the heel to the base of the toes. One non-invasive treatment for plantar fasciitis is to do exercises that stretch the Achilles tendon, calf, and plantar fascia. You may want to warm up a little before doing plantar fasciitis stretches.

One warm up is to take steps on a flight of stairs. One stretch begins by standing approximately two feet away from a wall. The person should lean against the wall. Bending one leg comfortably, the person should straighten the other leg, placing it about six inches behind them with the heel on the floor. They should hold the stretch for about ten seconds. The person should feel the stretch of the Achilles tendon in the straightened leg. They should switch positions and stretch the other leg.

The stretch should be repeated twenty times. Another stretch of the plantar fasciitis begins with the person’s toes against the wall with heels on the floor. They should bring their hips closer to the wall so that their feet is at a forty-five degree angle. This exercise stretches the calf and the plantar fascia.

A third exercise can be done while sitting in a chair. The person should rest the ankle of the injured foot on the knee of the opposite leg. They should gently push the toes backward until they feel a slight pull or stretch in the bottom of their foot.

Another plantar fasciitis exercise begins with leaning forward onto a countertop. The person’s feet should be spread apart with one foot in front of the other. Keeping their heels on the floor, they should squat and hold the stretch for ten seconds and relax.

If pain is experienced in the morning as is common with plantar fasciitis, the person can do a simple exercise before getting out of bed. The person should lie on their back. They should use their big toes to write the letters of the alphabet in the air. After writing the alphabet, they should stretch the plantar fascia by gently raising their big toes towards their shins.

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