What is planta fascia?

A thick fibrous band located along the bottom of the foot (pictured below).

So then what is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the pain you feel in your heels when the plantar fascia (the strong band of tissue that supports the arch of your foot) becomes irritated and inflamed.

Who is at risk?

Around 1 in 10 people will get plantar fasciitis at some time in their life. Plantar fasciitis is common in middle-aged people between the ages of 40 to 60 years. It also occurs in younger people who are on their feet a lot, like athletes or soldiers. You’re more likely to be at risk if you’re:

• Overweight
• Pregnant
• Have a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces
• Walk or run for exercise especially if you have tight calf muscles that limit how far you can flex your ankles
• Have very flat feet or very high arches
• Have Pronated Feet or over pronate when you walk or run
• Wear ill fitting shoes that lack support
• Have tight Hamstrings/ Gluts/ Calves/ Achilles Tendon
• Have heel spurs
• Have had injury to your arch

Can I prevent plantar fasciitis?

If you’re someone who is on their feet almost every day, stretching and the use of a foam roller to mobilize tight muscle groups on the back of your leg is highly recommended to prevent  and treat plantar fasciitis. Below are 3 important stretches that you can do every day to prevent the occurrence of plantar fasciitis and soothe existing pain. Each exercise should be held for 15-30 seconds and then release. Each leg should be repeated 3 times.

#1 Calves Stretch

#2 Planta Fascia Stretch

#3 Achilles Tendon Stretch