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Hamstring Stretches
A printable guide to hamstring stretches, to support your recovery at home.
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Download and print these helpful guides and information sheets to support your care at home.
A printable guide to hamstring stretches, to support your recovery at home.
Download PDFA printable guide to plantar fascia and calf stretches, to support your recovery at home.
Download PDFA printable information guide to support your ongoing care and treatment.
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Download PDFImportant daily foot care routines and guidance for managing diabetic foot health.
Download PDFYour podiatrist will recommend exercises and guides based on your particular needs.
Heel & Arch Pain
Plantar fasciitis is a very common condition which, put simply, is inflammation of the plantar fascia. This is a strong band of tissue (like a ligament) that stretches from your heel to your middle foot bones.
Usually the pain will ease in time. However, fascia tissue, much like ligament tissue, heals quite slowly. It can take several months or more before it is resolved.
The plantar fascia supports the arch of your foot.
It also acts as a shock absorber in your foot.
Recovery can take several months or more, so patience and the right care matter.
Treatment Options
The following treatments are designed to speed recovery. A combination of these can be very effective.
This should be done as much as possible. Avoid running, excess walking, standing for long periods and undue stretching of your sole. Gentle walking and the exercises described below are acceptable.
Rolling a can forward and backward in the arch of the foot in the mornings, before standing, can help reduce the pain that usually occurs when first standing. Alternatively, a night splint can be worn, which keeps the plantar fascia in a stretched position while sleeping.
You can buy various pads and insoles to cushion the heel and/or support the arch of the foot. By stabilising the foot, they reduce the amount of movement made and the strain placed upon the fascia. These work best when worn in your shoes at all times. Your podiatrist will recommend the best ones for your foot type.
Painkillers such as paracetamol will often ease the pain. Anti-inflammatories such as Ibuleve and Voltarol can also be useful in relieving the symptoms and increasing the rate of healing, as can applying an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
Regular gentle stretching of your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia may help relieve symptoms. This is because many people with plantar fasciitis have tightness of the rear leg muscles, causing excessive pulling on the back of the heel and a shortening of the plantar fascia. Your podiatrist will recommend exercises based on your particular needs.
Download the exercise guidesThis option may be considered by your GP, or on the recommendation of your podiatrist, if your pain remains despite the conservative treatments. It is often very effective, however it is not always successful, it can be a painful procedure and may take several attempts before the problem is resolved.