Last Updated on October 26, 2022 by Ellen Christian
I’ve been searching for a treatment for plantar fasciitis since I was diagnosed with it earlier this year. One of the treatments that was recommended was to stretch the plantar fascia in your foot. The plantar fascia stretches from your toes to your heel.
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Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
My doctor recommended stretching my plantar fascia as soon as I wake up. He encouraged me to simply stretch my foot and toes before I got out of bed in the morning but that wasn’t really working for me. I was probably not stretching the right thing the right way but I just couldn’t get the hang of it.
Plantar fasciitis cause
Plantar fasciitis is caused by straining the ligament that supports your arch. Repeated strain to the ligament can cause tiny tears in the ligament. Stretching and tearing your plantar fascia can cause irritation and a heel spur which is a bony growth in the heel. (Note: I am not a doctor. This is my interpretation of it.)
How can I treat plantar fasciitis at home?
I came across a simple solution. The J Wedge was designed to treat plantar fasciitis and heel pain. It is a wedge that you place on the floor and against a wall or piece of furniture.
You point the big toe of the foot that hurts up a little bit and then place your toe against the J Wedge so your foot is flat on the floor. Stretch gently four about 30 seconds.
As you’re comfortable, you can add your other toes and even use the J Wedge on your other foot.
The J Wedge is currently not available, however, this tool works the same way.
My thoughts:
I started out by stretching my big toe first thing in the morning with the J Wedge laying on the longest side. This gave me the most gentle stretch.
After a week or so, I was able to use the J Wedge with it laying on the shortest side which gave me a deeper stretch.
I used the J Wedge first thing in the morning because that was the time after I was mostly inactive. I am generally up and down all day on my feet and the plantar fascia becomes painful after periods of inactivity.
You can use the J Wedge up to four times per day. So if you spend a lot of time being inactive, you can use it after those times.
I have been using the J Wedge for several weeks now and I definitely do notice that I have less pain than I did before I started.
The J Wedge is lightweight and sturdy and could easily be tossed into a suitcase or gym bag for those that travel. If you have plantar fasciitis, ask your doctor if the J Wedge might work for you.
Is walking good for plantar fasciitis?
If you have plantar fasciitis, you know that walking can be painful. But, one of the problems is that walking is one of the best therapies for plantar fasciitis.
Don’t forget to choose comfortable shoes with arch support. This is vital so that the problem doesn’t get any worse.
Check out these foot care tips for more information about taking care of your feet.
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
Nice to know about this. I have been doing the exercises, but sometimes forget. Good alternative to a sleep boot!
Really glad to hear the J Wedge is working for you. I don’t have Plantar Fasciitis but I use it to relieve cramping from wearing high heels and from wearing flip flops too long.
So glad that you were able to find this and find some relief! I don’t have PF but I know a couple of people that do. I will most definitely let them know about this handy little gadget!
I came across this on Facebook. I have been getting foot pain recently that is causing me to be less active. I will check out the J Wedge and possibly give it a try. Thanks.
I think this J Wedge is fantastic. I never saw that before but I could have used this a few years ago for foot pain. Stretching does make me feel better and I am always stretching my feet in bed. I did go for acupuncture treatments and that did help me.
The older I get the more aches and pains I have. It is definitely good to include stretches of all kiinds into your daily routine. glad you found somthing that helps!
That’s a handy gadget. I need to go talk to my doctor about my foot pain. It’s more on the top and outer side..thinking a tendonitis, but been trying to stretch as well. Hope this helps you..feet are so important 🙂
Saw this post pop up on FB 🙂 I’ve suffered from PF for several years and I’ve done bio freeze, physical therapy, a special boot at night, stretching in the morning, etc and nothing has improved it 🙁 I notice it gets better when I lose weight and the pain increases when I gain, but nothing has completely taken the pain or helped with it. I’m glad you get some relief using the wedge.