Plantar fasciitis is a common foot injury that occurs from overuse of the facia that sits underneath the foot. The facia runs from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot which acts as a shock absorber and if it has been overused, it can become inflamed. Overuse is normally from excessive exercise such as a lot of running, walking, or jumping exercises. In order to alleviate the pain, you would need to rest that area and work on some stretching exercises to try and reduce the swelling and inflammation. The stretches involved would require you to get underneath the foot; you can use props to assist with this. For example, using a towel or resistance band to pull the foot back into a flexed position whilst stretching the toes forward and back; or using a small ball or can of drink to roll the foot forwards and back and get underneath the arched area. This may feel uncomfortable but it will help to reduce any swelling that has been caused. Ice is also recommended, in order to reduce inflammation.

The injury may take some time to go down, but it is crucial to lay off the exercise that has caused the injury. Without resting this area, it will not recover and will only get worse or could even lead to affecting other areas in the body. The body will overcompensate when anything is not working correctly and not being able to place this foot down properly without pain, could lead to further issues up the leg through the calf muscles and into the back of the knee. The quicker the area is treated, the less likely this would happen.

References:Plantar Fasciitis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, and More (healthline.com)

Plantar fasciitis – NHS (www.nhs.uk)