This video teaches a a series of stretches and exercises to do while still in bed before that first painful step in the morning.
In order to perform the stretches, you will need a belt or towel next to your bed.
Point your toes down as far as you can, and flex them back up. This will help you warm up the soft tissues so that you can safely perform the rest of the exercises.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Make sure that the towel or belt is wrapped around the ball of the foot and not just the toes, this will ensure a better stretch for the plantar fascia ligament.
Starting at the inner side of the arch, massage across the width to the outside of the arch, with a light amount of pressure to ease your ligament to be prepared for your body weight when you get out of bed.
The micro tears in the plantar fascia cause inflammation and pain. Due to these micro tears the ligament tightens up during the night and your first few steps out of bed cause pain.
By massaging and stretching you can prevent re-injury to the plantar fascia ligament each morning along with reducing your pain.
Soft Night Splints are specifically designed to hold the plantar fascia in a stretched position during the night to reduce tightness in the morning.
Treating the root cause of the pain, plantar fasciitis, is another effective way to eliminate morning heel pain.
In order to perform the stretches, you will need a belt or towel next to your bed.
Morning Heel Pain Exercise 1
For the first exercise, sit upright with your legs in front of you. Point and flex your toes to warm up the muscles of your feet.Point your toes down as far as you can, and flex them back up. This will help you warm up the soft tissues so that you can safely perform the rest of the exercises.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Morning Heel Pain Exercise 2
Sitting with your feet out in front of you, wrap the belt around the ball of one foot, grabbing the belt with one hand on each side of your leg. Sit up as straight as possible and use your arm strength to pull the ball of the foot into a flexed position without using your foot strength to do so.Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Make sure that the towel or belt is wrapped around the ball of the foot and not just the toes, this will ensure a better stretch for the plantar fascia ligament.
Morning Heel Pain Exercise 3
After you have performed the point and flex warm up and the belt stretch, massage the plantar fascia ligament. Massaging the plantar fascia ligament across the width of the plantar fascia.Starting at the inner side of the arch, massage across the width to the outside of the arch, with a light amount of pressure to ease your ligament to be prepared for your body weight when you get out of bed.
The micro tears in the plantar fascia cause inflammation and pain. Due to these micro tears the ligament tightens up during the night and your first few steps out of bed cause pain.
By massaging and stretching you can prevent re-injury to the plantar fascia ligament each morning along with reducing your pain.
Video
Other Ways to Treat Morning Heel Pain
If stretching your feet before stepping out of bed does not reduce your heel pain enough, there are other treatments that you can try.Soft Night Splints are specifically designed to hold the plantar fascia in a stretched position during the night to reduce tightness in the morning.
Treating the root cause of the pain, plantar fasciitis, is another effective way to eliminate morning heel pain.
