Plantar fasciitis is an injury that affects the lower arch of your foot and is mostly painful when you first walk around in the morning or after prolong periods of rest. The plantar fascia is a long, thick and tough band of tissue that provides support for the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. The plantar fascia is designed to stretch, which allows the arch of the foot to flatten and absorb the pressure of the heel impacting the ground. This fascia is not very flexible and the repetitive stretching such as running can result in small tears in the fascia. Because circulation isn’t the best in the Plantar fascia, using manual techniques to stretch and loosen the fascia will help to lengthen it and stop it from tearing. Your therapist will give you stretches and other techniques to help in the recovery.
