3 Effective Ways to Manage Your Plantar-Fasciitis Pain

If you're like most people who are living with the pain of plantar fasciitis, you are likely always looking for effective treatments options to use in addition to those offered by your doctor and physical therapist. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do at home to improve your condition as time goes on. Consider implementing the following two methods into your life.

Practice Yoga Regularly

While practicing extreme yoga poses that put a lot of weight on your feet can exasperate pain due to plantar fasciitis, practicing gentle yoga poses that relieve muscle tension and stretch the fascia is an excellent way to ease your pain and minimize the chance of the pain recurring as time goes on. Moves such as the "Garland Pose" are perfect options for foot and heel pain relief.

If you decide to join a class in your community, make sure it is designed to heal body pain and provide gentle stretching; avoid classes that involve strength training and body toning, as they're typically labor intensive and can trigger pain. Beginner DVDs and books from the library, as well as online videos, will provide you with the instruction you need to learn how to perform your chosen yoga moves correctly so you get the most of your practice.

Implement Ice-Bottle Therapy

You can put ice packs on the heels of your feet throughout the day to manage pain and inflammation, but a more effective option is to use ice-bottle therapy. This technique involves using a bottle filled with ice to gently stretch and massage the heel tissue and fascia muscles for extended pain relief. Just fill a plastic bottle with water and freeze it. Then put the frozen bottle on the floor and place a foot on top of it. Gently roll your foot back and forth over the bottle to create a gentle massage motion.

After you feel relief, switch feet for a few minutes and then put the bottle back in the freezer for later use. Consider keeping two bottles frozen at any given time so you can treat both of your feet together. You should wash the bottles and replace the water with fresh liquid at least once a week to ensure that mildew doesn't start growing inside of them.

These tips and tricks should help ease your plantar-fasciitis pain as well as improve the quality of your life overall. Consult a professional such as Advanced Foot Clinic for more ideas.