If you suffer from a problem with your plantar fascia muscle, then you are likely in pain. Often this condition is temporary, so if you haven’t aggravated the problem, it may get better with rest. However, it may still be painful just getting up and walking to the kitchen or the bathroom. The following are a few ways that you can reduce your pain and speed up your recovery time.
Stretch your plantar fascia muscle
This muscle is on the bottom of your foot, and the pain is due to a tear in the muscle. There is a specific stretching exercise that you can do to relieve pain and help the healing process. The way you do this is to stand in front of a flat wall. Place the heel of your foot on the floor with the toes on the wall and press down slightly. Keep your body straight up with your head looking forward at the wall. You will feel the muscle on the bottom of your foot stretch. Try to hold this for a minute or two. You should do this several times a day.
Over-the-counter medication
You should attempt to use these medications before you ask a doctor for something stronger. Ibuprofen is especially useful because it reduces swelling, but you may also want to experiment with acetaminophen. This is strictly an over-the-counter painkiller. You can only take it every six hours, but you may want to experiment with alternating between the two. Once your plantar fascia muscle is healed, you can discontinue both medications.
Buy a new pair of shoes
What you are looking for is good arch support. When you walk, you want to relieve the pressure on your plantar fascia muscle. There are arch supports that you can buy for your current shoes that you simply slip inside your shoe. Although it is better than nothing, it is not ideal. There are shoes that are designed especially for maximum arch support. A shoe dealer can help you with what is available.
Of course, if your pain persists, you will need to make an appointment with a foot and ankle clinic orlando fl to have a podiatrist look at it. There are certain things a doctor can do that you cannot do yourself for plantar fasciitis.
