Hi Leah,
Plantar Fascitis is when the fascia (a thin membrane that surrounds every tissue inside the body) on the muscles on the bottom of the foot (the plantar surface) is swollen or has been stressed or damaged, causing (usually) “trigger points” in the muscle tissue. Your shiatsu guy probably worked on some specific points in your calves, shins and/or feet to relieve what was going on.
Since it sounds like this is a recent occurence, you have probably done something that stressed out those muscles involved - Usually calf/shin muscles.
You can work on them yourself if you know the right places to work. You DO NOT, necessarily, have to have surgery. I had a friend who had it so bad she could barely walk. Between massage, self-massage, and stretches, she has virtually no trouble now.
To help you find where to look for the spots on your leg, first visualize your lower leg in quadrants. The 1st quadrant=center front to center outside of leg, 2nd=center outside to center back, 3rd center back to center inside, 4th=center inside to center front.
For the outside heel pain, you will be in the 2nd quadrant, which is the meaty outside part of your calf muscle. Sitting down on a kitchen type chair, rest your left palm on the left calf, with your thumb resting against the imaginary line that runs down the center outside of your leg. Right about where your middle finger should be resting is the area to start looking for the “Trigger Point”. Just go ahead and slight bend your middle finger and press very firmly right where the finger will naturally hit. If that is not the exact spot, it will be very near there. You will know when you’ve found it because it will be very tender and may, in fact, hurt like hell! One author calls the feeling “exquisite pain,” and I agree with that descripition. You may also feel a sensation triggered in the painful area around the heel - thus the name “trigger point.”
YOu can press and hold that spot for 8-10 seconds at a maximum pain threshold of about 7 on a 1-10 scale. Do this as many times a day as you think of it, up to 8 or 10 times a day.
For pain in the ball of the foot, you’ll work in the first quadrant. Again sitting, place your hand palm down, heel of the hand resting just where the knee bends, middle finger on the center outside imaginary line. This time, bend your index finger and press firmly where it naturally lands. The spot should be there, or within about an inch to either side &/or up & down from there.
There is a great book for trigger points that I highly recommend to anyone out there. It is called “The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief.” It is by Clair Davies, and is available on Amazon.com and probably at local bookstores as well. I use it frequently in my massage practice, and have memorized parts of it to use on myself for my daily living AND for my 2005 AT hike. I have relieved chronic knee, foot, hip, back wrist - you name it - pain using this book and this technique.
You can also do stretches to begin gently lengthening the muscles that are causing the problem. To stretch your calf, stand a little ways from a solid support (wall) and lean on it with your forearms, head resting on hands. Bend your right leg and place your right foot on the ground in front of you, toes touching the wall, leaving your left leg straight back behind you. Slowly move your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the calf of your left (straight) leg. Be sure to keep the heel of the foot of the straignt leg on the floor and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold an easy stretch for 30 seconds. Do not bounce. Do not hold your breath. Switch and do the same with the opposite side. Do this every day, especially before going for a walk.
Hope this helps!
Hope the lenght doesn’t irritate anyone else!
Angie
Angie
