Fix Plantar Fasciitis - Instant Pain Relief

Summary

In this informative video, Dr. Michael, a physical therapist, shares effective exercises to alleviate plantar fasciitis pain. He introduces three quick morning stretches to prevent the first-step pain, a nighttime frozen water bottle roll for soothing relief, and a high load strain training technique using a towel for long-term fascia strength. The video promotes a 16-week foot and ankle prehab program for a comprehensive solution to plantar fasciitis.

Takeaways

• 😀 Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that causes pain in the foot, particularly in the plantar fascia, especially with the first steps out of bed in the morning.
• 🔍 The pain is often felt in the bottom of the foot's arch, indicating an issue with the plantar fascia which connects to the heel cord and calf muscles.
• 🤸‍♂️ To alleviate morning pain, the script suggests a stretching exercise for the plantar fascia before getting out of bed, involving ankle dorsiflexion and big toe stretching.
• 🧘‍♀️ Another recommended stretch is against a wall, which helps to elongate the calf muscles and plantar fascia, a position that also promotes ankle dorsiflexion.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Post-work exercises include using a frozen water bottle to roll and soothe the plantar fascia, providing both cooling and pressure relief.
• 🌟 The script emphasizes the importance of high load strain training for the plantar fascia, which involves using a rolled towel under the big toe and performing calf raises against a wall for support.
• 🚶‍♂️ The long-term solution to plantar fasciitis involves building strength and resiliency in the plantar fascia through specific exercises, such as the towel and wall raise.
• 🛑 The script mentions that 'itis' typically indicates inflammation, but in the case of plantar fasciitis, it's more about the fascia not being able to handle the loads it's subjected to.
• 📚 The video is part of a broader foot and ankle prehab program designed to educate viewers on how to become their own physical therapists and prevent future issues.
• 📺 The channel posts new videos every Tuesday, focusing on physical therapy and prehab exercises to educate viewers on body health and injury prevention.
• 🔗 The video encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content and to check out the comprehensive prehab program for a more holistic approach to foot and ankle health.

Q & A

What is the typical symptom of plantar fasciitis experienced in the morning?

The typical symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in the foot, particularly in the plantar fascia, which is felt most intensely during the first steps after waking up and getting out of bed.

What is the purpose of the first exercise mentioned in the script?

The first exercise aims to stretch the plantar fascia to help elongate it and improve its mobility, reducing pain upon waking up.

How should you perform the initial stretch for the plantar fascia as described in the script?

To perform the initial stretch, put the ankle into dorsiflexion by pointing the toes up, lock it with one hand, and with the other hand, stretch the big toe. This should be done before getting out of bed.

Why might someone feel a pull in the back of the calf during the plantar fascia stretch?

The plantar fascia attaches to the heel cord and the posterior calf, so stretching it can also affect the calf muscles, which is why a pull might be felt there.

What position do we sleep in that shortens the plantar fascial complex?

We sleep in a plantarflex position, which shortens the plantar fascial complex, leading to pain in the morning when we first step out of bed.

What is the second exercise recommended to stretch the calf and plantar fascia?

The second exercise involves standing with toes on a wall, which should produce an intense stretch down the back of the calf and plantar fascia.

Why is the wall stretch preferred over traditional calf stretches according to the script?

The wall stretch is preferred because it provides tone extension and dorsiflexion of the ankle at the same time, targeting both the calf muscle and the plantar fascia effectively.

What is the purpose of the frozen water bottle exercise?

The frozen water bottle exercise is meant to soothe pain and discomfort after a long day on the feet by applying cooling and pressure to the plantar fascia.

How can you enhance the frozen water bottle roll by incorporating a pin and stretch technique?

You can enhance the roll by putting weight on the bottle and trying to lift the toes up, which adds a stretching component to the exercise.

What is the long-term fix exercise mentioned in the script for plantar fasciitis?

The long-term fix exercise is high load strain training with a towel roll, where you perform calf raises with the towel under the big toe to build strength and resiliency in the plantar fascia.

Why is it important to perform exercises like the towel roll for plantar fasciitis?

Exercises like the towel roll are important because they help to build up the strength and resiliency of the plantar fascia, preventing it from not being able to handle the loads placed on it during physical activities.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding and Treating Plantar Fasciitis

In this video, Dr. Michael, a physical therapist, introduces viewers to a method to alleviate plantar fasciitis pain. Plantar fasciitis is characterized by foot pain, particularly in the plantar fascia, which is felt most intensely upon waking and taking the first steps. The video offers three exercises to address this issue. The first exercise involves a stretch for the plantar fascia before getting out of bed to elongate and activate it. The second exercise is a wall stretch targeting the calf muscles, which are connected to the plantar fascia. The third exercise uses a frozen water bottle to roll and soothe the plantar fascia after a long day. The video emphasizes the importance of these exercises for immediate relief and long-term prevention of plantar fasciitis.

05:00

🏋️‍♂️ Strengthening the Plantar Fascia with High Load Strain Training

The second part of the video focuses on a long-term solution to plantar fasciitis through high load strain training. This involves using a rolled-up towel under the big toe, which is crucial for stretching the plantar fascia, and performing calf raises against the wall for support. The exercise aims to strengthen the plantar fascia to handle increased loads, such as during hikes or runs. The video suggests starting with both feet and gradually progressing to one foot to increase the difficulty. It also mentions a 16-week foot and ankle prehab program that includes exercises like this one for overall foot and ankle health. Dr. Michael encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more educational content on physical therapy and injury prevention.

Keywords

💡Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition characterized by pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. It is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. In the video, Dr. Michael discusses this condition as the main focus, explaining that it typically causes pain during the first steps in the morning and how to alleviate it with specific exercises.

💡Dorsiflexion

Dorsiflexion refers to the movement of the foot or hand towards the front of the body, which involves pointing the toes upwards. In the context of the video, Dr. Michael instructs viewers to perform dorsiflexion of the ankle to stretch the plantar fascia, which is an essential part of the morning routine to reduce plantar fasciitis pain.

💡Stretch

A stretch in the video script refers to a physical activity aimed at lengthening and relaxing muscles to improve flexibility and reduce pain. Dr. Michael demonstrates specific stretches for the plantar fascia and calf muscles, which are crucial for managing plantar fasciitis symptoms.

💡Calf Muscle

The calf muscle, also known as the gastrocnemius and soleus complex, is the muscle at the back of the leg that helps in plantar flexion and dorsiflexion. In the video, Dr. Michael explains that stretching the calf is important because it is connected to the plantar fascia, and this connection can affect the pain experienced in plantar fasciitis.

💡Exercise

Exercises in this video are physical activities designed to strengthen and stretch muscles, particularly those affected by plantar fasciitis. Dr. Michael provides a series of exercises, including a morning stretch, a wall stretch, and a towel exercise, to help viewers fix plantar fasciitis pain.

💡Frozen Water Bottle

In the video, a frozen water bottle is used as a tool for a self-massage and cooling therapy. Dr. Michael suggests rolling the plantar fascia over a frozen water bottle to soothe pain and discomfort after a long day on the feet, combining the benefits of cold therapy and pressure.

💡High Load Strain Training

High load strain training is a method of exercise that involves applying a significant amount of tension or load to a muscle or tissue to improve its strength and resilience. The video script mentions this type of training as the long-term solution to plantar fasciitis, using towel exercises to strengthen the plantar fascia.

💡Calf Raises

Calf raises are a specific exercise where the person lifts their heels off the ground while keeping their toes on the ground, working the calf muscles. In the video, Dr. Michael incorporates calf raises into the high load strain training exercise using a towel and a wall for support to target the plantar fascia.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's response to injury or infection, which can cause redness, heat, pain, and swelling. Although 'itis' in medical terms usually indicates inflammation, Dr. Michael clarifies in the video that plantar fasciitis is not an inflammatory condition but rather a result of the fascia not being able to handle the loads placed on it.

💡Prehab

Prehabilitation, or prehab for short, refers to preventive measures taken to reduce the risk of injury or to prepare the body for physical activity. In the video, Dr. Michael encourages viewers to become their own best physical therapists and to prehab their bodies for life, which includes exercises to prevent conditions like plantar fasciitis.

Highlights

Introduction to a video on how to alleviate plantar fasciitis pain with exercises.

Plantar fasciitis is characterized by pain in the foot, particularly in the plantar fascia.

The pain is often felt first thing in the morning during the first steps after waking up.

A stretching exercise for the plantar fascia before getting out of bed is recommended to reduce morning pain.

The plantar fascia stretches from the bottom of the foot to the posterior calf.

A specific stretch is described to elongate and mobilize the plantar fascia.

The importance of stretching the calf muscles in conjunction with the plantar fascia is explained.

A wall stretch exercise is introduced to target both the calf and plantar fascia.

The use of a frozen water bottle for rolling and soothing plantar fascia pain is suggested.

High load strain training with a towel for the plantar fascia is presented as a long-term fix.

The towel exercise involves big toe extension to maximize the stretch on the plantar fascia.

Calf raises using the towel under the big toe are recommended for strengthening the fascia.

Progressing the exercise to a stool for increased difficulty and effectiveness is advised.

Plantar fasciitis is often not an inflammation issue but rather a fascia unable to handle loads.

The video promotes a 16-week foot and ankle prehab program for long-term prevention.

The channel's mission to educate viewers on becoming their own physical therapists is highlighted.

An invitation to subscribe for more educational content on physical therapy and prehab exercises.

Transcripts

are you trying to roll your plantar

fasciitis pain away

check out this video and we're going to

teach you how to fix it for good

[Music]

hey guys dr michael here physical

therapist welcome back to the channel if

you're new go ahead and just hit the

subscribe button real quick

and now i'm about to show you how to

finally fix your plantar fasciitis pain

so plantar fasciitis is typically

described as pain in the foot

in the actual plantar fascia or this

plantar upon neurosis

typically it's first thing in the

morning when you wake up it's those

first steps out of bed

so i'm lying down i get up i feel nice

and good i step out my first couple

steps boom

intense pain in the bottom of the arch

so

what we're going to do is i'm going to

show you three quick exercises two of

them that you're actually going to do

one of them actually that you're going

to do before even getting up so right

when i get up out of bed before i even

take those first steps

we want to do a stretch for the plantar

fascia this is going to help elongate it

and get it moving a little better

so what we're going to do is i'm going

to do my right foot with one hand i want

to put my ankle into dorsiflexion or the

toes pointed up

so i'm going to lock it in with this

hand and then with my other hand i'm

going to take my toe

and i'm going to stretch it this way and

if you're a plantar fasciitis you know

that this is the money stretch this is

the one that feels real good

and you'll feel that pull through here

you may even feel it in the back of the

calf

so the plantar fascia while being only

on the bottom of the plantar surface of

the foot

it actually attaches through literally

the fashion of her body

all the way through the heel cord in the

posterior calf so all the way into your

calf or gastrocn soleus complex

so what we're trying to do is a stretch

the entire thing by putting the ankle

and dorsiflexion

and then we're going to move this big

toe so before you get up go through

about 20 of these and you can hold it

for a couple seconds at the end

and again you're just trying to get that

motion in the plantar fascia when we

sleep

we sleep in what's called a plantarflex

position when our ankle is actually down

what that does is it shortens the entire

plantar fascial complex

so when you get up in the morning those

first couple steps when we actually go

through stretching it

it really hurts so our goal is to try to

get that stretch before we even get out

of bed

now after manually stretching your

plantar fascia in bed i want you to go

over to a wall

right in your bedroom you're going to go

to the wall and what we're going to do

is we're going to put our toes on the

wall

right away you should feel a pretty

intense stretch down the back of your

calf so again

the calf muscle and the plantar fas in

the fascia here attaches all the way to

the plantar fascia on the bottom of our

foot

so we want to stretch our calf just as

much as we want to stretch our plantar

fascia

now when i'm in this position my toes

are an extended

as well my knee is extended and i can

lean forward and i get more of a stretch

if you are leaning all the way forward

and you don't feel a stretch

that means you need to get that foot up

on the wall even more and you'll feel

the stretch a lot sooner

now why do i like this again over your

traditional calf stretch

it's because when we're in this position

we get that tone extension

and the ankle and dorsiflexion at the

same time

the first two exercises we're gonna do

right in the morning before you even go

to work now

after a long day of work you've been on

your feet your feet are probably hurting

a little bit

let's actually try to soothe some of

that pain and discomfort we're gonna get

a frozen water we're gonna need a water

bottle put it in the freezer during the

day

at night take it out it's nice hard and

frozen and you're just going to

roll your plantar fascia that cooling is

actually going to feel good

as well as that pressure what you can

even do here is a little bit of pin and

stretch

where you put weight on it and you try

to lift the toes up so

comment below which one of these three

have you tried and even better which one

of these three

actually gives you the most comfort

so those last three exercises they are

symptom relief exercises they're to make

you feel good there is nothing wrong

with that at all

but the one exercise is actually going

to fix it for good and keep it away

is this guy high load strain training

port for the plantar fascia

so we're going to do is we're going to

get a towel we're going to roll it up as

tight as we can

and what we're going to do is we're

actually going to put that under your

big toe

remember this whole time we've been

talking about big toe extension is

actually what

puts the most stretch on the plantar

fascia so we're going to keep the tone

extension

we're going to go in the wall hang onto

a wall for support and we're going to do

calf raises

now you're going to notice that my other

foot my left foot right now is helping

because if it's my first time doing this

this may be pretty hard i can even maybe

put both feet together

but eventually what the goal is it's to

lift the other foot up

and to have all your weight on just your

right side or whatever side you're

trying to work it's going to be a couple

seconds up

a couple seconds down once this gets

easy on one foot

maybe shoot for 15 to 20 reps we're

gonna try actually doing the exact same

thing on a stool

so i'm gonna be on a stool again my

joint my

mtp joint is on here my big toes are up

in extension

i'm going to hang on to something for

balance and i'm going to try to do the

exact same thing

on one side plantar fasciitis ends with

itis which typically means that there's

inflammation but that's

actually not the case in plantar

fasciitis it's actually a fascia that's

not

able to handle loads that it's placed on

it so whether that means that you're

going on a hike

you're going on a run or maybe you're

just being more active and that pain

starts to come on

it means your plantar fascia is not able

to handle it that's why we have to do

exercises like this one

the long term fix to build up strength

and resiliency

in our plantar fascia so we have

exercises like this

in our foot and ankle pre-eye program

it's a 16 week

bulletproof foot and ankle preheat

program we know how common plantar

fascia is

there are tons of exercises just like

this one in our entire program

check it out it's over here for you and

also please subscribe we post new videos

every tuesday

give it a like as well with that thank

you

dr michael lau here from team free app

thank you so much for watching that

video

we have so many more videos for you all

you got to do is subscribe to our

youtube channel

and check out the hundreds of other

youtube videos that we have done

we are trying to teach you how to become

your own best physical therapist

and prehab your body for life

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