If you’ve been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, you’re probably in a lot of pain. And you’ve probably been told that you need to stay off your foot as much as possible to recover and decrease the pain. But what if you have a job that requires you to be on your feet several hours a day? Or you’re an athlete in training for a big event? Or a parent that needs to chase a toddler around? When you can’t sit back and wait for your body to heal itself, Graston Technique is an excellent treatment for plantar fasciitis.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Speed plantar fasciitis recoveryIf you haven’t been officially diagnosed with plantar fasciitis yet, you may be wondering what it is exactly and how you can determine if that’s what’s ailing you. The plantar fascia runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel toward the toes. Plantar fasciitis is a repetitive strain to that fascia, or soft tissue. Signature symptoms are heel and/or arch pain, especially first thing in the morning and after exercise.

Because the plantar fascia supports body weight, it becomes injured with repeated strain from running, standing or jumping. And once injured, these repeated motions aggravate the fascia even further. This is why many healthcare practitioners will tell you to stay off of your foot as much as possible so that the plantar fascia has a chance to rest without your body weight. And why it can take several months to fully heal.

Graston Technique to Speed Recovery

Yes, staying off of your plantar fasciitis will help it heal. But how many people can stay completely off their feet for hours at a time (except while sleeping)? It can be nearly impossible for most people suffering from plantar fasciitis, which is why this specific strain can take so long to heal. But there are a few things that speed up recovery while subsiding the pain.

Graston Technique Phoenix for plantar fasciitisGraston Technique is a great option to help break up the scar tissue that is building up around the strain in the foot. The body’s natural healing process creates scare tissue around the injury, then replaces the temporary scar tissue with permanent healthy tissue. Using Graston Technique helps your body get through the natural healing process faster. A trained chiropractor, like those at Pure Health, will run a stainless steel instrument along the inflamed fascia to physically mobilize the soft tissue. It breaks up the scar tissue and can quickly reduce the sharp pain associated with plantar fasciitis.

Of course the best courses of treatment are well-rounded. To get the fastest results, we usually recommend rest, Graston Technique, ice and stretching exercises in conjunction with each other. Ice is an excellent at-home remedy that will immediately numb the pain and physically decrease the inflammation. Once inflammation decreases, you can follow exercises and stretches prescribed by a chiropractor or physical therapist.

It’s important to seek treatment from a healthcare provider as soon as possible when you first suspect you have plantar fasciitis. The more severe the strain, the longer it will take to heal and the more intensive the treatments will be. A trained professional will help you determine how you strained your plantar fascia to begin with and work to correct any foot or gait mechanics. Stretching and exercises will help to both heal the strain and prevent it from happening again.

Plantar fasciitis can be a very painful, debilitating injury. Instead of getting frustrated with minimal progress and pain relief, consult with Dr. Ross at Pure Health and Wellness Center to see if Graston Technique will help in a fraction of the usual recovery time.