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!!