There are some form of stretches and exercises that can be done to reduce the risk of recurrence of plantar fasciitis. Your physician may give you specific instructions for a suitable exercise program that is appropriate for you. Exercises for plantar fasciitis focus on stretching the Achilles tendon, calf, and plantar fascia. These stretches can be done whenever you experience pain from plantar fasciitis. Try them.

It is sometimes recommended that you warm up a little before doing plantar fasciitis stretches. An easy and not complex warm up is to walk up some stairs. Always ask your physician for advice on doing exercises and stretches for plantar fasciitis.

One of the plantar fasciitis stretches starts by standing about two feet away from a wall. Lean against the wall. With one leg bent comfortably, straighten the other leg, placing it about six inches behind you with the heel on the floor. Hold for ten seconds. You should feel a gentle stretch of the Achilles tendon in the extended leg. Switch positions and stretch the other leg. Repeat twenty times.

The second plantar fasciitis stretch starts with your toes against the wall with heels on the floor. Bring your hips nearer to the wall so that your other foot is at a 45 degrees angle. This will stretch the calf and the plantar fascia.

Sit on a chair. Rest the ankle of the injured foot on the knee of the opposite leg. Gently push the toes backward until you feel a stretch in the bottom of your foot.

Another exercise starts by leaning forward onto a countertop. Your feet should be spread apart with one foot in front of the other. Squat down. Keep your heels on the floor. Hold for ten seconds and relax. Repeat twenty times.

Sit on a table with your knees bent. Holding onto the ends of the towel, loop a towel under the ball of the foot. Keep knees bent as you gently pull the towel while flexing the foot upward. Try to press your foot against the towel.

If you experience pain in the morning, do the next simple exercise before getting out of bed. Lying on your back, using your big toes to try to write the alphabet in the air. After writing the alphabet, gently raise your big toes towards you.

Some people find massage helpful to reduce pain. One way to massage the area yourself is to rest the foot on a tennis or golf ball. Gently roll the foot over the ball. Rolling back and forth over the ball of the foot yields a gentle massage of the plantar fascia ligament. You can try using an empty tennis ball container that you filled with water and froze. The ice pack will smoothe the pain and the rolling action sort of massages the foot.

By: Allan Tan

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