Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 7

In this episode we dive into some of the emotional or energetic undercurrents for plantar fasciitis.

Over the years of doing this work, I’ve found that there’s usually a top down approach over a bottom up in which the person approaches life. So, rather than being connected to the feet and the ground, the person is a heavy thinker and rationalizer.

A way to try to shift this mindfully in your body is to visualize your feet having roots that grow into the ground. Another suggestion is to connect to a place you can feel in your body and create new veins so-to-speak down each leg and into each toe. Then check in and see if it is easier to have a sensation of your feet in the ground.

Yet another suggestion is to purchase an earthing mat. The concept here is that we have chronic inflammation issues because we walk in rubber-soled shoes and concrete and that our bodies are unable to discharge negative ions. I know it sounds like a load of you-know-what, but I actually did find great benefit from sleeping on one of these for several years. My general sleep improved and I felt less allergies/illness. You can find ones that you can just have your feet on it, there are yoga mats and you can have ones that fit the entire bed as well.

Check out the video for the rest of my explanation on the mental aspect of plantar fasciitis.

Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 5 Stretch & Release Tight Calves

If your feet are tight and/or you’re having heel pain, you most definitely have some tight calves and ankles. This episode of the Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis course follows the same structure of the other episodes. We start with self-massage/foam rolling, follow that up with stretching and then proper reactivation of the target areas that are often under working in this pain pattern.

Specifically for this episode, we’ll go over how to foam roll your shins as well as your calves—fun fact, shin rolling=core work. We’ll then get into some fascial unwinding you can do on yourself in the form of soft tissue release (aka massage). Then I’ll show you some stretches you can do with a towel, or one of my two favorite purchases for plantar fasciitis sufferers, the DCT Proflex. I love that thing so much I keep one at the studio and have one at my house so I have no excuse to not stretch my calves frequently.

I’ve chosen ankle stretches that really focus on the fascial component as well. Feel free to spend more time in these positions, particularly the achilles/soleus stretch as that tendon wraps around the heel and could be part of a heel pain pattern.

We’ll end with how to activate the different aspects of your calves in a simple home exercise. Thanks for watching!

Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 4

Got some tight hammies?! Tight hamstrings follow the same fascial or connective tissue chain as the calves and hamstrings.

In this episode of Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis, we’ll get into some self- massage techniques for the hips and hamstrings. Lately I’ve been loving this wooden roller as it has ridges that kind of squeeze the hamstrings and calves as you roll. You can also use that groove to kind of separate out the different muscle lines. Another favorite is cupping the IT band and that will help with another fascial line that can be an accomplice in plantar fasciitis.

We then get into some fascial stretches, which are a little different than muscle stretches. An instructor at a training I once took put it beautifully…a muscle stretch is just pulling the muscle the opposite way it contracts, a fascial stretch would be like if you’re wearing jeans or a wetsuit—there would be more pull on the fabric. Since plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the fascia, we’re going to hone in on some deep fascial stretches you can do at the hips.

Lastly, we’ll do some neuromuscular re-activation to make sure the right muscles are kicking on in the right motions. I find that a piece of plantar fasciitis is that the glute max is not working properly and the calves and hamstrings are trying extra hard.

Next episode we’ll get into how to release and properly work the calves. You can subscribe on the channel page to be notified of new episodes!

Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 3

In this chapter of the Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis online course, we look at how the foot relates to your (poor) posture and breath.

The body is a series of archways or diaphragms and they all kind of mirror one another. This means that the archway of your foot reflects tension that is in the archway of your breath diaphragm.

In this video we do a simple diaphragm release or breath opener and then look at some simple ways to approach both sitting and standing posture. I find that most people tend to try too hard and that makes them rigid read:tight. By following some simple guidelines around posture and the breath makes finding your best posture for the day, or moment, easier.

Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 2

We’re starting the work of this series, as I always do, distal to proximal. In the case of plantar fasciitis, that means starting at the head and even (!) the forearms! Yes, tight triceps can also, sometimes, play a part in tight feet and foot pain.

Massaging your forearms is super simple with this little tool from Amazon for about $10. Then we move into rolling the triceps out, which are the secret gnarly place that no one ever thinks to massage—it helps alleviate shoulder and neck tension. In the video I use this roller, but you can use any other type of roller/massager you like.

From there, there’s a yummy little head massage. The fascial line we’re dealing with in this episode is primarily the upper aspect of the spine and how it wraps around the head into the eyebrows. Therefore, we want to get some head and forehead relaxation so that it flows downward towards the feet.

Top this all off with some stretching of the shoulder blades, (there’s an easy tip in the video to make this common stretch more intense) and then getting some form of whole, spinal stretch. You could lay over a big yoga ball, but I choose to go propless in this video and do a version of yoga plow pose.

Lastly, we do a simple neck stretch with a hand towel. This is a great, simple exercise for training the neck muscles to ‘chillax’ and that they can rest as though cradled in a hammock.

Next episode we’ll get into how plantar fasciits and tight feet are wrapped up with a tight diaphragm. Everything always connects back to the breath!!