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There are many trigger points that come to mind to enable plantar fasciitis relief: the hamstrings, the calves, the posterior tibialis muscle, and so on.
But an obvious choice should be directly on the plantar fascia as well. If nothing else, it will at least provide you with some relief throughout the day like a massage would.
The term “plantar fasciitis” translates to inflammation of the bottom of the foot. It is an umbrella term that covers any inflammation or pain in the foot.
We’re going to focus specifically on the band of tissue that runs from the heel bone to the ball on the inside of the foot, where your arch is at its highest point.
Most people could agree that plantar fasciitis is generally about heel pain. A few of the lesser discussed areas of pain include the point where the arch meets the inner heel, the middle (peak) of the arch, and the point where the arch meets the ball.
This is an incredibly simple, yet effective release method to use. You will need some kind of round and firm surface to start with. The first and preferred option would be a foam roller, otherwise, a rolling pin or PVC pipe will do.
In addition, a firm massage ball will also be necessary, if not, more important than the first item. Ideally, one that would be able to grip the ground so it doesn’t roll away and so it can push back against your foot is best. I like to use these Kieba massage balls because they do exactly what I need them to.
For the three points on the foot listed above, the instructions are the same. You can treat them all similarly because they are nothing more than different spots along the inner foot arch muscles.
I picked them simply because they are very common pain points for people suffering from plantar fasciitis and in my personal experience, I’ve felt some pain in all three! So don’t worry about anything except for deciding where your most tender spots are and how much pain you think they can handle.
I am going to start these instructions with the easiest and least painful ideas first and as you continue reading, you will find more ways on how to make the massage more intense. This way, you will have a clear place that you know you should stop when it becomes too much and you can work your way up through the other options as you progress.
To start, make sure you are sitting down on a chair with your feet flat on the ground and start with the foam roller. Just roll one foot at a time over the roller with as much force as you want and see how this feels. If you are in excruciating pain, this is probably where you have to start.
For more intensity, either stand up and continue rolling one foot with the foam roller, or stay seated and roll the foot with a massage ball instead. The massage ball should be firmer than the roller and have less surface area covering your foot, so more of targeting a specific spot than rolling over the whole foot.
If these all feel okay, try standing up and rolling the ball under your foot with most of your weight on the side that is rolling (add extra force). Then try rolling the ball horizontally across your foot by moving your foot from side to side.
The reason we want to do this is because all the muscles in this area run vertically over your arch, so we want to go against the grain to break up that stiff plantar fascia tissue. Try to maintain the same amount of force while moving from side to side.
Next, you are probably noticing that some areas are more tender than others and there are some areas that the ball is “clunking” over. These are the spots you want to focus on the most because the tenderness is telling you that they are the most tight. Release these areas and you will feel noticeable relief.
Find one of these spots with the same side to side motion we were just using and stop when you feel like you’ve found the most tender point.
Try to get “under” the knot with the ball by pressing it into that spot with as much force as you can handle. Make sure to keep the area that you are releasing as relaxed as you can so the ball can sink deeper into the musculature. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds at a time.
Once you have tried that, now it’s time to “contract and relax”. This is a method that Dr. Kelly Starrett uses to to increase the effects of myofasical release. In his book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, he advises,
“If you are focusing on sliding surface function, identify a tight area (an area in which you can’t surrender your full weight on a ball or roller) and then engage that muscle for no less than 5 seconds. After 5 seconds of tension, relax, allowing the affected tissue to sink deeper into the ball or roller.”
To summarize, you’re going to locate one of the more tender spots in your foot and hold as much weight on it as you can handle. While doing this, switch off contracting (flexing) your foot and relaxing your foot for 5 seconds each. I would recommend at least 5 repetitions of each.
This exercise encourages the targeted muscle to relax itself around the ball you’re using, hence letting it get a little deeper into your foot each time. It proves to be more effective the more you use this technique.
If you are looking for more explanation on this release technique or want to try some different ones, the previously mentioned Becoming a Supple Leopard by Dr. Kelly Starrett is a great place to start.
The book contains several myofascial release techniques for every single area of the body that you would want to work on and he shows you exactly how to execute them. He also breaks down into simple terms why you want to release the muscles that he’s recommending to get the results you’re looking for.
I would credit this book for being one of the main catalysts of eliminating my long term case of plantar fasciitis. Once I started trying Dr. Starrett’s release techniques, I instantly felt relief in my feet, heels, and ankles.
I was back to running and regular exercise again after only a couple weeks of using these techniques.
Check it out here:
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