I’ve seen a large amount of new or returning runners present to clinic this year, and with this an increased injury risk can come. One of the more common issues can be plantar fascia pain / plantar fasciitis. In this blog I’ll give you a couple of quick tips to help manage your pain.

Strength Training

Plantar fascia pain often comes from an overload of tissue, an element of this can include insufficient muscle strength. Increasing the strength of basic muscles, in conjunction with other treatment methods, can help in your recovery. Basic exercises like this can include:

• Calf raises

• Bridges

• Single leg plyometrics (Jumping/hopping drills)

Stretching

Many of resources on plantar fascia pain will recommend stretching for treatments, and in this case they are correct! There is often a correlation between calf (Gastrocnemius) tightness and plantar fascia pain. Studies showing completing 3×15 repetitions of calf stretching twice per day can improve gastrocnemius tightness and pain.

Orthotics

A really well researched method of helping to decrease plantar fascia is taping, specifically a low dye tape. This tape helps to decrease the inward rolling of the foot, helping to decrease load on the tissue itself. However when you’re considering the long healing duration, constantly taping your foot can be a little bit, well… annoying! Orthotics can often help to mimic this effect and in conjunction with other treatments can help to rehabilitate your foot pain.

Footwear

This is often a heavily discussed and debated topic among clinicians, however it can be a really easy way to help manage your pain. That being said, there is no specific recommendation on which shoes to wear. Essentially the best advice we have is that maximalist shoes (E.g. shoes that have more cushioning and greater thickness) can help with pain levels overall.

Appropriate Loading

At its very core plantar fascia pain is an overload of tissue, basically meaning if you push it too hard then its going to get sore! Make sure you take care to manage this effectively. Way to do this is to:

• Count your steps in the day

• Try and decrease your steps/take public transport where able

• If you’re returning to running, start small!

If you have any questions on whether physio is the best option for you, or you have any questions about MVMNT in general, feel free to contact via email.

- Jay Towolawi, Specialist Sports Physiotherapist and MVMNT Founder.