The recovery process for plantar fasciitis can be a bumpy road. If you know that plantar fasciitis is to blame for your foot pain, you likely already have an idea about things you can do to treat the symptoms. But, do you know what things you should be avoiding?
Accepting the fact that you need to be less active can be difficult, especially for people who are always on the move. That being said, your feet need time to heal. There’s no getting around it. The last thing you want to do is prolong your recovery time.
In this article, we’re going to give you a few tips on what not to do if you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis.
5 Things to Avoid if You’re Battling Plantar Fasciitis
1. Don’t stay sedentary
Stay mobile, and move smart. Stopping all activity is potentially the worst thing you can do for your plantar fasciitis. Here’s why:
- Lack of activity can turn into weight gain
- Constant sitting can hinder proper blood flow and cause back issues
- It can negatively affect your mental state
Developing weight issues can cause more problems in your feet and slow down plantar fasciitis progress due to the added stress when standing.
Make sure you are switching up standing and sitting evenly. Sit when your feet hurt, and stand when the pain isn’t as bad and you just need to get a few steps in.
Staying at least a little active (but in a smart way) will keep you in a positive state of mind and ready to tackle the challenges ahead.
2. Don’t wear flat shoes
Wearing flat shoes is a no-no if you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis. Flat shoes (or no shoes at all) results in unnecessary pressure to the heel and across the bottom of the foot. This doesn’t bode well for your healing outlook.
Keep some supportive shoes on hand for when you do feel like walking around. The extra cushioning and arch support will take more pressure off your feet, which will lessen pain down the road.
3. Don’t avoid warm-ups and stretches
In a perfect world, you’ve identified things you can do that won’t make your plantar fasciitis worse. If this means physical activity, make sure you are still doing light stretches to warm up your feet, ankles, and calves.
Stretching can make it possible to do certain things without pain, which can lead to strengthening of the affected area. Over time, stronger muscles around the injured tissue can take pressure off the injured area during activity.
4. Stop pushing through pain
Plantar fasciitis won’t improve very quickly if you are ignoring what your body is telling you. When it hurts, rest. Or at least, do activities that keep the pain from getting worse.
When you ignore your foot pain and go about your normal routine, it can affect other areas of your body negatively. It’s not uncommon for people to change the way they move around in response to foot pain. Doing this over an extended period of time can cause other issues in your knees, hips, or even your back.
5. Stop high-impact movements
Things like running and jumping can be very detrimental to your plantar fasciitis recovery. Depending on the pain level, standing and walking can often be enough to increase the severity of inflammation. Anything beyond that is just asking for more problems.
Wrap Up
Now, you’re equipped with even more information you can use to rid your feet of plantar fasciitis. With a little patience and persistence, you’ll be well on your way to getting back to a regular routine.
Reach out to the team at Fitness Sports for any questions you have related to plantar fasciitis recovery!
