Achilles Tendon Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis Relief

Achilles Tendon Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis Relief

If you have foot pain which centers around your heel, or just in front of it, then there is a high probability that you have plantar fasciitis. This debilitating foot condition can be hard to treat, simply because it is very difficult to stay off your feet and give the inflamed plantar fascia the rest and recovery time it needs. However, performing routine gentle foot exercises can stop the onset of chronic pain.Exercises can reduce the inflammation of the plantar fascia, the thin ligament running along the underside of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. In fact, plantar fasciitis exercises are so effective at relieving the symptoms of this condition, and are so gentle and easy to do, that they should be an integral part of the daily routine of all sufferers. And they take just a few minutes of every day.One of the main causes of plantar fasciitis is over tight calf muscles. During exercise and general movement, the calf muscles loosen and lengthen. But during rest, they contract. This means that the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, pulls sharply against the heel bone when movement resumes. This may result in Achilles tendonitis, or in plantar fasciitis, depending on which tendon is the weaker and more susceptible to damage.A simple stretch to prevent further damage and alleviate pain of either of these conditions is to gently stretch out the Achilles tendon.Achilles Tendon Stretch 1This simple stretch can be done anywhere and requires the toes to be elevated relative to the heels which the calves relaxed. A simple way to achieve this is to stand on the edge of a step with the heels hanging off the edge and gently lower the heels little by little over the step keeping the calves relaxed. A more stable version of the same stretch is to stand with the toes only on a thick book (a telephone directory is great) and allow the heels to drop to the ground. This stretch should be held for about a minute, or as long a is comfortable.Achilles Tendon Stretch 2Stand with your hands leaning against a wall, your feet hip width apart. Walk your feet back until your feet are well behind your hips and you are supporting some of your weight on your hands. Drop your heels to the ground. If this is easy, walk your feet back further until you can feel the stretch in the back of the calves and the Achilles tendon. If you find you cannot keep your heels on the ground, walk your feet forward slowly again until you can. Hold the stretch for a minute or as long as comfortable.As with all exercises, little and often is what works best and this stretch should be done at least twice a day and certainly early after rising for best effects. Plantar fasciitis stretching exercises work well, but only whilst you keep up with them. Severe and persistent conditions may need specialist help from a podiatrist.

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