Heel Pain: Manage the Cause, Not the Symptom!

Plantar Fasciitis: What is it?

"My foot hurts the worst with my first steps in the morning!"

Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the foot. It is often characterized by pain first thing in the morning and after sitting for long periods of time. Patients typically say, “my worst pain is the first few steps in the morning.” However, plantar fasciitis is kind of a misnomer! The 'itis' in fasciitis would mean that an active inflammation is occur in the tissue. However, research has shown that the aggravated tissue does not have an active inflammation. It is more of a chronic tissue injury. 

Why does plantar heel pain commonly occur? 
1)Weakness of the calf muscles
2)Over-pronation of the foot (foot collapse)
3)Poor ankle range of motion
4)High body mass index (obesity or overweight)

How to Self-Manage Heel Pain

Get the ankle moving!​
When ankle motion is limited, it changes how efficiently the ankle can move. A major cause of limited ankle movement is tightness in the calf muscles. If the calf muscles are tight, other structures—including the plantar fascia—may absorb extra stress. The plantar fascia can only tolerate extra stress for a certain period of time before it becomes aggravated. Keeping the ankle moving can help minimize the risk of developing heel pain. 

Heafner Health Advice:
For this specific exercise, make sure you are driving your knee directly over the second toe. This will minimize the tendency to over-pronate (collapse through the arch).

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Do not forget about the Big Toe
Limited extension of the big toe (bringing your big toe towards your nose) is often limited in people with heel pain. This typically occurs because extending the big toe while walking or running takes the slack out of the plantar fascia tissue, creating more tension. If local stabilizing muscles do not support the tissue, it can become irritated. 

​Heafner Health Advice:
Keep your heel together while lowering into the stretch. With the big toes and heels locked, the stretch will feel significantly greater in the foot and calf.

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We have addressed motion, now lets strengthen!
Weak calf muscles are a major predictor of heel pain. If the calf muscles are not doing their job, other structures are at risk for injury. Additionally, people will weak calves commonly over-pronate because they cannot control their foot mechanics

Heafner Health Advice:
Keep your heels together while pressing up into the raise. When lowering down, move through the entire movement to work the calf muscles through their full range of motion. 

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Strengthen the Small Foot Muscles
There are 4 layers of ‘intrinsic foot’ muscles that help support the plantar fascia tissue. These small foot muscles help maintain the natural arch of the foot. If these muscles are not working properly, the plantar fascia tissue can be over-worked, which may result in pain.

Heafner Health Advice:
 DO NOT SIMPLY CURL THE TOES! BE MORE SPECIFIC! Imagine the foot is a suction cup. During this movement you are lifting your arch off the ground while keeping your toes and heels suctioned to the ground. If the toes curl too much, the ‘suction effect’ would be lost.

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The missing link: heel mobility 
The plantar fascia attaches onto the heel bone (known as the calcaneus). When the heel bone does not move properly, the plantar fascia tissue can also become stagnant. Since the heel is the first point of contact while walking, proper motion is key. 

​Heafner Health Advice: 
Do NOT overcomplicate this movement. Simply grab the heel pain and move it up and down! Go slow or fast; but make sure you move throughout the full range of motion.

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Dr. Heafner is an Author! 

The Yoga Fix book combines the physical therapy and movement expertise of Dr. Heafner with the skillfulness of yoga teacher Keith Allen. The Yoga Fix takes readers through 40+ poses, identifying both the Eastern and Western approaches to the practice.

Yoga is not broken, but certain postures needed to be fixed! Whether you are new to yoga or an expert teacher, The Yoga Fix will help you safely take your practice to the next level.

​In these pages you will discover:

• How to perform yoga in a safer manner for your spine and body
• Why misalignments can lead to pain or injury over time
• Movement cues that can will to strengthen your practice
• How to develop a practice that will last a life time  

Learn more about the book!