Plantar fasciitis stretches can help you ease your pain and suffering. Click here for a handy guide to get you started.

Do you wake up in the morning barely able to walk because you have so much pain in your feet? You’re not alone.

Plantar fasciitis impacts over 10% of the population. You don’t have to live with it, though. There are a number of different plantar fasciitis stretches you can do to help alleviate the pain.

Keep reading for some stretches that you can do at home to help stretch your plantar fascia and get your feet back to feeling normal.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, which are the tissues on the bottom of your foot. It is the most common heel pain reported by adults. When these tissues are inflamed, they cause a great deal of pain along the bottom of your heel and foot.

The good news is that over 90% of people with plantar fasciitis can see improvements within 10 months of beginning treatments for the pain and inflammation. One of the easiest ways to treat it is to do stretches at home.

Plantar Fasciitis Stretches

Plantar fasciitis can be easily treated at home or with over-the-counter remedies, especially if you catch it early. Some of the easiest ways to treat it is with plantar fasciitis stretches you can do anywhere.

Calf Stretches

When you wake up in the morning, your calves are likely to be tight. When your calves are tight, they often pull on the heel bone, making your plantar fascia very taut and prone to injury.

To stretch out your calves, grab a towel or belt and loop it around the ball of your foot. Pull back on the towel or belt until you feel your calves start to stretch.

Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and try to do it 3-5 times on each foot before getting out of bed.

Toe Stretches

To stretch your toes, pull them back towards your calves with your hands until you feel a stretch along the ball of your foot.

This stretch is easy to do anywhere that you can take your shoes and socks off. If you can do this a few times a day, for 30 seconds at a time, you might find that your pain levels start to subside.

Achilles Tendon Stretches

Place one leg behind the other, with your toes of the back foot pointed towards the heel of your other foot. Lean against a wall and bend your front knee while keeping the back leg straight.

Keep your back heel stays firmly on the ground and stretch for 10 seconds at a time. Try to do this 8-10 times a day.

Squat Stretches

While leaning forward, spread your feet apart with one foot in front of the other. Bend your knees and squat down, keeping your heels on the ground for as long as possible. Hold for 10 seconds at a time and repeat 20 times to really get a good stretch in.

Stretch and Ice Combo

To really stretch out your plantar fascia, freeze a bottle of water and then roll the bottle back and forth with your foot. This helps stretch the plantar fascia and also relieves inflammation.

You can do this 10-15 minutes at a time, several times per day as long as you can stand the cold!

Informing Your Stretches Medically

To get the most from your stretching, the suggestions explored here can help, but some may be more appropriate for your particular situation than others. Additionally, there are times when unique issues make it so the particular therapy you’re pursuing doesn’t quite fit your situation. Getting a consultation from professionals makes a lot of sense, and can help you overcome the pain more safely, and likely, with greater speed. The sort of professionals you’re looking for would specialize in muscle, bone, and nerve issues—like this Monroe orthopedic surgeon.

Start Stretching Now

You can start most of these plantar fasciitis stretches now. Don’t wait until the pain gets worse.

You can also couple these stretches with other remedies, such as over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, orthotics for your shoes, and special running shoes for plantar fasciitis.

You can also check out our blog for more options to get rid of foot pain once and for all.