About Plantar Fascia Stretching

The plantar fascia is located on the bottom of the foot, and runs from the heel to the toes on the inside edge, also called the instep. When the plantar fascia gets overworked, it can become sore and develop into plantar fasciitis. If this happens, there are various ways to stretch it.

  1. Towel Stretch

    • Towel stretches are done from a seated position on the floor, with your legs flat and out in front of you. Place a towel around the sole of one foot, then slowly pull your toes back towards your shin, holding for 20 to 30 seconds.

    Rolls

    • Rolling is done by standing on a biofoam roller. Stand on it and slowly roll back and forth, with your body weight pushing down.

    Toe Taps

    • Another stretching technique involves pointing your big toe downward and other toes up, then pointing your big toe up, and your little toes down.

    Scrunches

    • In this stretch, you sit in a chair, placing the towel on the floor in front of you. Place half of your foot on the towel with your heel grounded, then scrunch the towel towards your body, and extend it back out.

    Wall Stretch

    • Place your heel on the ground in front of the wall and place the balls of your feet on the wall. Bend the knee slightly, and lean forward.

    Identification

    • When doing the rolling, toe tap and towel exercises, you should be in bare feet.