When our seasons change, so does our footwear. You might live in thin, plastic flip flops in the summer but more structured shoes and then boots for the rest of the year. Our feet adapt, but the changeover of shoes can give you foot or leg pain.
Plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the bottom of our feet that helps support the arch, runs from your toes to your heel. Just up the heel, the achilles tendon turns into your calf muscle. When one part of that line gets sore or tight, the other two aren’t far behind. If getting out of bed in the morning becomes painful around the heel or midfoot, but eases up once you’re up and about, you might have plantar fasciitis; your plantar fascia is not a happy camper.
Wearing slippers or shoes with a decent sole in the house can cushion your feet from hardwood or ceramic tiles. Taking an ice pack and lightly standing on it with a thin sock on can also provide relief. If that’s not enough, grab a golf ball and gently roll your foot over it. You don’t have to use a lot of pressure, but focus on the areas that are more tender. Relax your foot to let the sole sink into the ball, then extend your toes. You should feel a pull in the bottom of your foot. This mimics a move I will often use to treat plantar fascia and having done it to myself, I can tell you it feels really good! Prefer to have someone else do all the work? Come get a leg and foot massage.
