If getting out of bed is the worst moment of the day…
Stepping out of bed onto a foot plagued by Plantar Fasciitis is nothing short of excruciating. It is ‘seeing stars’ painful. Hobbling to the bathroom at 2 in the morning is also dangerous. It seems like it happens all of a sudden, but, in fact, it was a long time in the making. For active people, it may be a sudden increase in the intensity or length of the workout. Think a usual short run suddenly becomes training for a marathon, or your treadmill workout suddenly includes ‘hills’. For the sedentary, the muscles get shorter and tighter without your even noticing. Either way, the sudden onset is not really ‘sudden’ at all.
- What can you do?
- Self-care or professional help?
- Professional help is faster, but home care is a good start.
Here are a few tips.
- Gently stretch your feet. Pull up toward your shin and then point your toes down in the opposite direction.
- Stretch all the muscles of your legs. Calves, Hamstrings, Quads, maybe even your Glutes.
- Place a small ball under your foot and roll from the front of your foot to the heel in small circles searching out tender areas and gently working them out.
- Use a frozen water bottle to roll under the foot to reduce inflammation.
- Consider other anti-inflammatory interventions. Increase your doses of Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin C and curcumin.