At-Home Massage for Plantar Fasciitis
When my plantar fasciitis was at its worst, it felt like the bottom of my feet would rupture with every step. I did all the usual things — the stretches, the yoga poses, saw a podiatrist, got orthotics, etc. Yet, I still had pain. The next strategy in the treatment plan involved cortisone shots right into my heels, which really creeped me out. So, the doctor recommended some painful deep tissue massage. That’s not something I had the time or cash for, so I came up with my own solution. Perhaps it will help you too.
My initial strategy was to use the yoga preventive I’d learned a decade or more ago, where you sit in Virasana (basically, kneel and sit back between your heels) and use your knuckles to really dig into your feet from heel to toe.
But, I did it so much and dug in so hard that I tore the skin off my knuckles. Eeek.
So, I turned to this massage tool I bought eons ago.
Basically, I use just one of the knobs and a whole lot of pressure to really dig into the channels on the bottom of my foot. It hurts and builds some heat, increases circulation, etc.
I’m not going to tell that you that I have ZERO pain, but it helps a lot. I typically dig in for 15-30 minutes per day, when my feet really hurt.
Orthotics took away about 80% of the pain. This at-home foot massage probably drops it down another 5-10%. I’d prefer to be totally pain free, but considering all the running around I do with the dogs, hiking and such, I figure a little ache isn’t terrible.