Our feet work hard and usually in hot, cramped and poorly ventillated conditions so is it any wonder that they get sore from time to time!.
Ingrown toenails, bungeons and neuromas can contribute to plantar fasceitis through changing the way we walk, ignoring one problem can be the beginning of other problems.
Plantar Fasceitis (PF) is a condition that commonly afflicts people who are on their feet a lot and is often accompanied by heel spurs.’ Plantar’ means the sole of your foot, ‘fasceitis’ refers to inflammation of the tough fibrous tissue beneath the skin of our soles.
I have treated many people over the years with PF , on each and every one of them their calf muscles were tight and sore and so too was the achilles tendon (tough cordlike structure joining your heel bone to your calf muscle).
When our muscles tighten or contract they shorten slightly, when this tightening becomes chronic it can start to inflame the fascia in the heel and sometimes tighten the muscles in the arch. It can change the way we walk and cause other lower leg problems.
If you are on your feet a lot in your job (nursing, restaurant waiting, shop assistance) or maybe do it for fun when you go on long runs and walks PF may sooner or later effect you.
Have a feel of your calves and achilles tendons now, sink your thumbs in, are they sore? do you stretch them enough? is the way they feel stopping you from doing things you enjoy ?.
Maybe you are not on your feet that much but still get PF, I have met a few drivers who get sore calves and heels from driving, so too with bicycle riders because they use their calves so much, PF is treated the same way if this applies to you. Overweight can cause PF too.
It is not uncommon for PF sufferers to have had shin splints at some stage (or concurrently if you are unlucky), PF can be a major nuisance but it is usually fixable and you can help yourself with this. If you use the methods described in the Self Massage book you can work the calves for longer without the sore thumbs. Stretching your calf and sole muscles afterwards helps too.
In Self Massage & +40 fitness you will find numerous massage techniques and exercises that your feet might respond well to.