10 Best Physical Therapy Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis Relief

Millions of people wake up every morning with a throbbing pain in their heels. They’ve got places to be and things to do, but Plantar Fasciitis is stopping them in their tracks. Simply put, this injury causes the tissue on the bottom of your foot to become irritated. When this happens, every step becomes overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, exercise is the fastest way to get you back on your feet. These ten physical therapy exercises for plantar fasciitis can decrease your heel pain, increase your range of motion, and get you moving again.

Stretching The Fascia

Shoes Off!

Have you ever stretched out a rubber band? After a while, they lose their stretch. The same is true with our muscles and fascia. When the fascia becomes tight, it starts to lose elasticity and “fray.” Stretching allows the body to regain its strength and flexibility.

Calf Stretch

Believe it or not, your Foot Pain could be coming from way up your leg. The calves wrap around behind the heel and attach to the bone with the Achilles tendon. When calves are tight, they tug on the heel and pull the fascia along with it.

How to:

• Stand facing a wall and place both hands on the wall at shoulder height.
• Place one foot behind you with the heel on the floor and the knee straight.
• Push into the wall until you feel a stretch in the back leg.
• Hold for 30 seconds without bouncing.
• Repeat 3 times on each side twice a day.

Toe Stretch Seated

This exercise works directly on the tissue that hurts your feet. Try doing this first thing in the morning before those painful steps hurt your heel.

How to:

• Sit down in a chair and place the painful foot across the opposite knee.
• Grab the toes of the painful foot with the hand on the same side.
• Pull back towards the shin until you feel a stretch in the arch of the foot.
• Check that you are getting a good stretch by using your other hand to feel along the fascia. Does it feel tight and “flat”? If so, you are probably not stretching enough. It should feel tight and bouncy, like a guitar string.
• Hold for 15-30 seconds.
• Repeat 3-5 times.

Strengthening the Foot

Okay, so stretching feels good, but where’s the workout? Imagine your foot is a house. You can feel better today by stretching, but will you still have a “strong house” down the road? Stretching + strengthening = success!

Toe Towel Scrunches

This exercise targets the intrinsic muscles of the foot. These muscles are super important because they help create the arch and absorb shock with every step you take.

How to:

• Sit down with both feet flat on the ground.
• Place a small hand towel flat on the ground in front of you.
• Grip the towel with your toes and bunch it up towards you.
• Once it’s completely bunched, use your toes to push it away from you.
• Repeat 2 sets of 10 scrunches on each foot.

Marble Pickups

Strong is good. Controlled is better. Being able to play with your food is great! This exercise challenges your foot to move in intricate ways.

How to:

• Place a handful of marbles on the ground near a small bowl.
• Sit down with both feet flat on the ground.
• Use your toes to grab one marble at a time and place them in the bowl.
• Repeat until all marbles are in the bowl.
• Do 2 or 3 rounds per foot.

One-Leg Calf Drops

Eccentric exercise = breaking down muscle fibers so they can rebuild back stronger. When it comes to tendons and fascia, studies have shown that eccentric exercise is king!

How to:

• Stand on a step with a rail in front of you.
• Raise up onto the balls of both feet.
• Use the other foot to lift off the ground so that all your weight is on the painful side.
• Slowly lower the heel below the step over three seconds.
• Use both feet to raise yourself back up.
• Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

5 More Movements You Can’t Forget

The first five exercises are essential, but these next five are just as important! Make sure to hit your feet from every angle with these bonus exercises.

Plantar Massage with Frozen Bottle

Fill up a plastic water bottle halfway with water. While sitting, roll the painful foot over the bottle for 5-10 minutes. This works as a massage to your feet while the cold helps decrease pain and swelling.

Arch Lifts (aka Short Foot Exercise)

While sitting, lift the arch of the foot without curling your toes or lifting your heel. Try to pull the ball of the foot towards the heel. This exercise is great for strengthening the “core” muscles of the foot.

Big Toe Extensions

Ever wonder why we have a bigger toe? It’s because it does the majority of the work when pushing off the ground. While standing, try to lift only the big toe while keeping the other toes on the ground. Then try to lift the other toes without moving the big one.

Single Leg Balance

Balance on one leg for 30-60 seconds. You’ll be surprised how much your foot has to “shift” to maintain balance. This exercise forces your brain to “fire” the correct muscles to stay stable.

Heel Raises (No Step)

These are similar to the calf drops but are performed on flat ground. Slowly rise up onto your toes and hold for two seconds before lowering back down. This helps build strength for daily activities like walking and running.

Stretch Smart!

Imagine you were working hard to get fit. You go to the gym every day, but all you do is chest day. Even though you’re lifting more weight each week, other muscles will begin to fall behind. Your body is smart, and if you do the same movement over and over, it will learn to adapt by kicking other muscles out of the movement.

Performing physical therapy exercises with bad form can be detrimental to your recovery. Lingering back pain from leaning too far forward during a calf stretch is called “compensation.” Your body took the easy way out because your abs were too tired to help. As you perform these exercises, ensure you are maintaining a neutral spine and that your feet are placed in the correct position. Does your foot roll in when you stand? Does your knee come over your toes when you squat? It’s these little tweaks that create BIG changes.

If you’ve been doing the exercises above and don’t feel like you're getting better or are unsure if you’re doing the movements correctly, it may be time to ask for help. At Carter Physiotherapy, our main form of treatment is Manual Therapy and movement screens. We want to ensure you are doing the right exercise for YOU and your specific lifestyle. Don’t guess whether something is helping or hurting. Visit our website to book an appointment today!

FAQs on Plantar Fasciitis Exercises

Should I stretch my plantar fascia when it hurts?

Stretching should not hurt. You should feel a “comfortable tension” when stretching the fascia. If the stretch hurts worse than your normal pain AND stays painful for more than a few minutes after stopping the stretch, it is too much. If it hurts, talk to a physical therapist or your doctor before beginning any exercises.

How often should I do plantar fasciitis exercises?

Ideally, you should break up the exercises into sessions 2-3 times per day. Completing these exercises every hour on the hour for 5-10 minutes is better than sitting at your desk for 3 hours then crashing down and doing them all at once. Little frequent movement is better than lots of sporadic movement. That said, if the exercises hurt, it's best to consult with a physical therapist to get a personalized exercise schedule depending on your situation.

Can walking barefoot ruin the hard work I’m putting in with these exercises?

Walking barefoot on concrete can wreak havoc on the arch of the foot. Think about going from sneakers to flip flops. There would be excessive movement in the foot that it’s not used to, right? Our feet are the same way. If your goal is to be barefoot every once in a while, that’s great! But for now, wear shoes or throw on a pair of house slippers. They help lock down the foot so you aren’t undoing your “homework” between exercises.