One of the first injuries I encountered when I decided to start running was something called plantar fasciitis. If you’ve ever experienced sharp pain in your heel when you get out of bed first thing in the morning then chances are plantar fasciitis may be the culprit. This pain is very common among runners but is another one of those injuries (much like shin splints or IT band syndrome) that can pop up if you participate in other sports or activities that emphasize a lot of pounding on the feet. You can also develop plantar fasciitis if you are overweight or if you have a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces. The plantar fascia is liked of like a rubber band on the bottom of your foot that attaches at the heel at one end and to the bones that form the ball of your foot at the other. The fibrous tissue can become inflamed from overuse and you will start to feel a sharp stabbing or burning pain- most commonly in the morning or other times when you get up after a long period of sitting.
What can you do to ease the pain? As always taking a few days to rest is always helpful. There are also some exercises you can do to stretch the plantar fascia. Try standing with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step. Slowly lower your heel so you feel a stretch not only in the arch of your foot but through your calf and Achilles tendon as well. You can also try rolling your foot back and forth on top of a can of juice, tennis ball, or one of those nifty wooden foot massagers. This really helped me when I first encountered plantar fasciitis, however when it flared up again at the height of marathon training last summer I found that putting a pair of Dr. Scholl’s gels in my sneakers really helped cushion my heels and the pain eventually subsided. Night splints are another option that allow the calf and plantar fascia to stretch while you sleep. These can be pricey though and frankly don’t look like the most comfortable thing in the world. If it works though, that’s all that count right? Check out this link for a few more helpful stretches.
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