You guys. I have some big news – my plantar fasciitis is GONE! And I am so excited!
Yes, it sucked. Plantas fasciitis is no fun!
I resorted to all of the known tricks for how to treat it.
- Rolling my foot on a golf ball
- Rolling on a frozen water bottle
- stretching and rolling out my calves
- Wearing more supportive shoes
- Wearing slippers/Crocs around the house
- Doing exercises to strengthen the muscles in my foot.
- Seeing a podiatrist who gave me a cortisone shot and made me custom orthotics
It sort of helped, but not really. My foot was still tender when I walked, stood or sat for too long. It still hurt and I started to accept the fact that I was going to have to live with this pain.
During yoga teacher training program, we learned about anatomy. We studied the muscles and bones, but also looked at the whole body and its fascial and myofascial linkages – in effect connecting them in a big web. We’re not just looking at what muscles do individually, but how everything is connected.
Plantar fasciitis might have to do with having tight calves and hamstrings. These muscles further up the line from the foot/heel have a direct impact on the pain we experience in our feet.
Long story short, I went to see a body worker who is trained in Kinesis Myofascial Integration (KMI), myofascial release, structural integration work and other orthopedic pain management techniques. For about an hour, Lauren worked on releasing the muscles and fascial lines along the back of my leg. It’s deep tissue work, active stretching, and not at all a massage.
FYI – foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release, but what I’m talking about is so much more than just foam rolling.
The second morning after my treatment, I stepped out of bed with no pain in my foot and I am serious.
Usually, the pain is worse in the morning, like a knife stabbing my heel since my foot isn’t warmed up. But that morning and each morning since, the pain isn’t there, and it’s not there throughout the day.
So if you suffer from plantar fasciitis, make sure you invest in a foam roller and seek out the help from a therapist who is trained in KMI.
Have you ever experienced plantar fasciitis? Aside from foam rolling, have you ever experienced myofascial release techniques?
You can read the original article at LoveLifeSurf.com