The plantar fascia is a ligament that connects the heel to the toes, supporting and stabilizing the arch of the foot. It can be injured, causing plantar fasciitis, which is often accompanied by severe pain in the foot or heel while walking. To prevent injury, maintain a healthy weight, wear shoes with adequate arch support and do exercises to stretch and strengthen the ligament.
The plantar fascia is a ligament, or more specifically, a flat sheath of white connective fibers. Connect the heel to the area of the foot behind the toes. It supports and stabilizes the arch of the foot, flexes the foot muscles and allows people to curl their toes. The plantar fascia also takes the strain when loading the foot. Because it plays such an important role in walking, running, and even standing, it’s important to keep your plantar fascia healthy and free from painful ailments, such as plantar fasciitis.
A person’s gait is partially controlled by the plantar fascia. It stretches as the foot makes contact with the ground, acting like a spring. Thus, a healthy plantar fascia allows a person to conserve energy while walking or running by giving them a slight bounce to their stride. It also plays an important role in the functioning of the foot. For example, when your toes are flexed while walking, it becomes tense. As a result, the arch is lifted and supported.
Many people suffer from a painful condition called plantar fasciitis. It commonly affects runners, obese people and pregnant women. People wearing shoes with poor arch support are also sometimes affected. It is usually accompanied by severe pain in the foot or heel while walking. It’s also usually worse in the morning, until the plantar fascia loosens up and becomes more flexible.
There are certain steps that can be taken to prevent plantar fasciitis and keep the ligament free from injury. For example, maintaining a healthy weight will reduce the stress placed on the plantar fascia. Wearing shoes with adequate arch support, low healing, and shock absorbers will also help maintain the ligament. Changing your athletic shoes after wearing them for about 500km of use can also work to prevent plantar fasciitis and keep the ligaments and tissues in your feet healthy.
Doing exercises that focus on stretching the plantar fascia and improving its flexibility is a great way to prevent injury, too. While the exercises are easy, they work best when completed on a daily basis. For example, while sitting in a chair, take a ball the size of a tennis ball and roll the ball along the bottom of each foot. The ball works by stretching the ligaments in the foot.
A good strengthening exercise for the ligament is called a marble lift exercise. Simply take some marbles and place them on the floor. Then, use your toes to pick up the marbles and place them in a cup, also on the floor. Similarly, a person can use their toes to crumple up a towel or some paper. The scrunching motion will strengthen the ligament.
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