stretching and plantar fasciitis

[freefall]

I have plantar fasciitis and my doctor has advised me to do stretching exercises to help with the pain. So far the stretching has only made my pain worse, and hasn't helped in the slightest. I have done a lot of research and many reputable sources have stated that stretching is supposed to help. However, I did find your website, which states that stretching makes plantar fasciitis worse. This is not what I want to do! I am very confused by this conflicting information. I have stopped doing the stretching exercises because the pain was unbearable, but doing nothing isn't helping either. I was hoping someone could give me a little more information as to why stretching is bad for plantar fasciitis, despite numerous reports that it helps. What advice would you give to someone who has been suffering from plantar fasciitis for over 5 months now?

[Kyle]

Hi Freefall,

Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the thick band of connective tissue on the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia ligament, is damaged from being over-stretched or over-used. Repetitive stretching and straining can cause small tears in the fascia, making it very painful to even just stand.

Stretching the foot does increase blood flow to the Plantar ligament which can produce temporary relief however it will also aggravate the injury causing inflammation, pain and worsen the condition. My advice to someone suffering with Plantar Fasciitis is to rest the foot as much as possible while using a ColdCure foot wrap to relieve the inflammation and pain associated with it. Once the inflammation is down continue to rest the injury and use the BFST 3-5 times a day to ensure a constant supply of nutrient and oxygen rich blood to repair the Plantar Fascia ligament.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask! 

[freefall]

Thank you very much!

Is there any benefit to doing stretching exercises once I've become more healed with BFST? Or is rest still recommended?

[Kyle]

Hi again Freefall, I'm glad I could help!

The benefit to stretching is that it draws blood to the area however the risks of stretching a damaged plantar fascia ligament far outweigh the benefit. The BFST increases blood flow to your foot for upwards of 3-4 hours without putting you at risk of further damaging your injury. You can however stretch your calf to increase the circulation to your foot in general, it’s the plantar fascia which you want to avoid stretching. As you recover you will gradually be able to do more on your feet without re-aggravation though as plantar fasciitis is a result of an over-stretched plantar ligament you want to avoid stretching it even after it has completely healed.