If you are a runner, sooner or later you will encounter heel pain associated with plantar fasciitis. While there is no cure, simple exercises can take care of it.
Plantar fascia is the tissue band running along the bottom of the foot. Excessive walking, running, or irritation can inflame the tissues, causing severe heel pain. See my previous article on Treating Heel Pain with simple exercises. Here is another, very effective heel-leg stretch. Similar to others, this stretch takes less than 2 minutes.
Heel Stretch
I start my day with this and other stretches, as I sip my morning chai. You need either an exercise band (used in demo), a yoga or karate belt, or what I use at home – an old bicycle inner tube.
Goal To stretch the plantar fascia running along the bottom of your feet. The plantar fascia is not an isolated structure, but wraps around the heel, connects with the achilles tendon, calf muscles, up behind the knee, the hamstrings and your glutes. During this exercise, all these get stretched.
How To:1. Sit upright with your back against a wall, legs stretched out in front, feet are hip distance apart.
2. Loop the belt around the forefoot, just below the ball of the foot and firmly pull the foot back towards you. Keep your knee pressed to the floor.
3. Feel the stretch from the heel, the calf muscles and your hamstrings. As you straighten your back, you should feel the stretch in your glutes and lower back.
4. Breathe. Hold the stretch for a count of 15.
5. Release and stretch other foot/leg.
6. Repeat cycle once more. Takes less than 2 minutes total.
Marathoner, Professor, Author, Citizen Journalist, Fitness Nut, Foodie, Meera's father, Hindu, Scientist, Photographer.
Dear Shanbhag ji…I am a regular at the gym & run a bit also.It was about 5/6 days back that I started feeling a pain on my left heel all of a sudden.I just ‘googled’ heel pain & hit upon your site link.I’ve been trying the stretch exercise for the past four days & must say there is quite a bit of relief.Thanks for the tip.Rgds
Deepak, glad this worked out for you.
Remember to stretch every day for a few minutes, and you will be able to keep heel pain at bay.
Thank you for sharing your comment.
A
Hi Arun,
I can’t thank you enough for this. I have been trying these simple things from past 2 weeks and pain is as if disappeared! Though this is not a big disease or something but only the sufferers know the real pain with every step. As if life comes to a stand still. I am happy that these small things did to me what multiple sessions with big doctors didn’t. Whole heartedly thank you. God bless you.
With best regards,
Akshatha Kamath
Wow Akshatha,
Thank you for sharing the fabulous results that you got. Yes, heel pain can be very debilitating – I know.
And glad the exercises helped. Please do not stop the stretches and exercises and the heel pain will come back. I usually do these in the morning while having my chai. I actually sit on the floor for breakfast, with my legs stretched out front and slowly do my stretches.
Wishing you the best,
Arun
excellent remedies
Thank you.
Arun
yes,this article is very informative simple physical exercises can create miracle than medicine thank you thanks a lot
Glad you enjoyed.
Best
Arun
Hi Arun ,
As i said i am not sure that High uric Acid is the cause..chances are less (I hope this would be the cause).looks like plantar fasciitis is a life long disease because if you google it then you can find people are suffering from this disease from many years.Well sometimes I am feeling frustrated ..like why it is happening and all.Might be overweight is my case because i am 85 Kg and my height is around 5.8 and half inch.
I am suffering from this problem from last 45 days or so, first i thought it might go away in few days but its still with me like uninvited guest.I am doing Ice and hot water therapy. Planing to go to physio as well.I want to get rid of this problem as soon as possible…..Will try everything.
Do you think its a life long problem ?
thanks,
Rohit
Hi Arun,
Thank you for the useful information.
I am having pain in my both heels my symptoms are like – Pain upon standing after periods of rest is often the most severe (Often followed by some improvement after a few minutes of walking). Pain may then get worse after longer periods of standing.high pain in the morning when i am leaving bed.
According to the doctor it is Plantar Fasciitis.He asked me to check my URIC ACID level.and it is quite high ..it is 7.40.
According to my doctors it may be one of the cause. I am eating protein less food from last 7-8 days and taking some medicines to reduce Uric acid level.
but I am not sure that reducing urid acid level will help to resolve my problem.Well my fingers are crossed.
Regards,
Rohit
Hi Rohit:
Interesting about the uric acid levels. I did not know about those, will check up. yeah, as a generation we have started consuming loads of meat (protein) and our systems may not be able to handle much of this.
Many of the stretches and exercises discussed here should help.
Best
Thank you so much, I’ll give it a try.
I’ve been resting my foot for about 5 days now..and I really want to dance again.
I think I will perform the stretches before practice today or tommorow, and hopefully it should relieve from this terrible heel pain.
Thanks,
Shreya
Don’t forget to ice it.
Hi Arunji,
I’m only 15, but I am learning Bharatanatyam, an am very dedicated to the art form.
However, since the past week, Ive been getting serious heel pain..I think it’s because of the stamping steps, an the force with which Bharatanatyam dancers strike their heels..
Um, my question is, just because my heel pains, is it final that it is planar fasciitis??
and when can I go back to dancing an stamping my feet full force?
Thanks,
Shreya
Hi Shreya:
Congratulations on your dedication to Bharatanatyam. It is a beautiful dance form and I hope that you will continue to learn and teach others.
Heel pain is very common for Bharatnatyam dance, precisely for the reason you mentioned – you stamp your heel many times.
Plantar fasciitis only means that the tissue which goes from under your heel to your toes in hurt. So yes, you likely have a mild form of plantar fasciitis. It is very easy to take care of:
Since you will be pounding on your heels regularly, you will have to do a few exercises regularly, as well.
1. Do this exercise mentioned above every morning. It only takes a minutes.
2. Try this Foot and Toe Extension, even before you get out of bed, and/or anytime you are sitting.
3. After a Bharatnatyam workout, once you come back home and are working at your desk, place your bare (or thin socks clad) heel on a small ice pack. This will calm any inflammation (injury) that the workout has caused. You should try this whenever your heel hurts.
This should suffice. I do think that you may have to continue these exercises and ice for a long time.
Since I am a distance runner, my heels hurt all the time. But I tame it with appropriate exercises and icing and never let it detract from my goals.
Let me know how this works out for you.
Wishing you the best
Arun
Dear Arun,
Thanks for the article.
Is there any direct link between weight gain and Plantar Fasciitis. In my case I observed, whenever I gained weight this pain reappeared.
Kindly suggest.
Regards,
Devendra.
I don’t know if anyone has directly associated weight gain and heel pain;
But the correlation appears clear. As you gain weight, your feet are getting a proportionate increase in loading which will result in the higher likelihood of heel pain.
Consider also that if you gain 1 Kg, during walking or running your heel transiently experiences ~ 5-fold higher forces. Thus if you gained 5Kg, your heel will see an additional 25Kgforce; sufficient to traumatize the plantar tissues and cause pain.
Thank you for bringing this up.
Arun
Dear Arun,
Thanks a ton for your valuable and prompt response.
Regards,
Devendra.
Hi Arun,
Thankyou for your reply. I am doing maintenance work with my feet. They are the best they have been for a long time. I have been doing the strecthes regualry for some time now and feet strengthening exercises. The taut sheet I haven’t seen before, will give it a go.
Kind Regards
Susie
Great! I sometimes get sore heels, now I know what it is and how to fix it.
Great stretch anyday; Should work well with sore heels.
best
Arun
Plantar Fascitis seems to be something that is diagnosed much more commonly these days. Do you think this is due to better diagnoses, increased overuse by many people in the early stages of an exercise program or even poor footwear choices?
Interesting point.
I’d say it is primarily an overuse issue – we are seeing more injuries in the weekend warriors, who think they can go from couch-potato to Triathlon in a few months. Plantaar fasciitis is not far behind. And only now we are learning how various stretches can help prevent/tame plantar fasciitis.
Among the Indian population I think we need to consider the change from Indian-style squatting toilets to the western commodes. Interestingly, the Indian style squatting stretches the heel and achilles very nicely. The squat itself is a yoga pose.
Arun
Hey Arun, How are you? Just dropped by to say hi… been ages right?
I think Julie is the nicest girl and a HARD worker, too. She knows for sure how important these stretches are since she is such a great runner herself!!!
Why, thank you mother. If it wasn’t for such wonderful genes, that simply just would not apply:-D
Thank you Julie for your support for all my craziness!
Looking forward to more exercises!
Arun
Yes Mom! Julie IS an superfast runner and an amazing Trainer! That’s why I try and learn as much as I can from you!
Thank you
Arun
Thanx Arun, I wanted this for myself actually.
Regards,
Dr. Sagar Gudhka
Glad and hope this works well for you.
Please do share your experience.
Best
Arun
this is brilliant. my husband has it – he also gets good results from walking (all the time, not just exercise walking) with his mbt shoes. somehow, it rolls the foot just right to work on it. i had no idea that it would be so painful, but he’s shown me! hope you’ve worked your plantar fasciitis out. ugh!
Thank you Jessie:
Yes, I had heard about the MBT shoes helping with heel pain before. Good to hear your husband’d heel pain is doing better!
and believe me, it can get very irritating (and painful).
I have been very fortunate (as with everything else I do) – I hit the stretches and exercises and it is always under control. Since I am a regular runner – I have to keep doing the stretches.
btw, very informative info on mbt on your site; also tried to sign up at your site and I’m still under consideration? ha ha!
And love your site!
Many Thanks
Arun
Oh Arun, i didn’t know about that this pain has a name Plantar Fasciitis. In India, I used to play Garba in Navratri for 9 days and had had this heel pain in both lags. Probably this causes due to non-stop playing garba steps. But, i’m alright now. No problem at all.
btw, your article is very informative and useful.
Hope you, M & M, all are doing good.
Sonia –
yes! playing garba for 9 days will give you heel pain. And rightly since its a seasonal activity it will go away.
But in runners, since you never stop running, it is difficult to get rid of the heel pain; and thus the need for additional stretches.
btw, my MIL decided to do a long barefoot walk to a faraway temple ~ obviously she got heel pain
and I showed her these exercises.
M&m are doing great, thanks for asking.
Arun