At-Home Exercises that Help Cure Heel Pain
Hardly a day goes by without a patient hobbling through our doors with debilitating heel pain, also called plantar fasciitis. It’s extremely common, especially in people ages 40-60. Heel pain occurs with repeated pressure on the plantar fascia – a thick band of tissue on the bottom of your foot that absorbs many impacts when you move. With repetitive stress, it can become inflamed – and very painful.
When you feel pain in your heel with every step, it’s essential to act quickly to resolve it. Without treatment, it won’t get better. Even with aggressive treatment, it can take weeks for the inflammation to calm down.
Here are some targeted exercises for plantar fasciitis that help:
- Standing calf stretch – stand in front of a wall; lean forward and place your palms on the wall at eye level. Step forward with the uninjured foot, leaving the injured foot behind you. Press your back heel to the floor and bend the other knee toward the wall, feeling a stretch in your back calf.
- Stair calf stretch – stand on the edge of a stair and drop your heels downward. Feel a gentle stretch at the bottom of your foot and back of your leg.
- Towel stretch – sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place a towel around the middle of your foot and grasp one towel end in each hand. Push your foot down into the towel; hold and slowly bring your foot back to neutral.
- Frozen can roll – place your foot on top of a frozen water bottle or juice can; roll your sole along the bottle. Start with mild pressure and then increase it.
Exercises are great but may not be enough to cure your heel pain. Our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, and Dr. Jim Swienconek, have many additional treatments for plantar fasciitis, including steroid injections, prescription anti-inflammatory medications, and custom orthotics. Call Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland in Solon, Ohio at, (440) 903-1041 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We offer a modern office with the latest technology for podiatric patients in Portage, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties, proudly serving our patients from Solon, Aurora, Bedford, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, and Twinsburg.
