Lifestyle tips:
Shoes: Wear shoes with good arch support and have a low heal, especially if on your feet for a long time. This helps prevent inflammation of the plantar fascia.
Foot/shoe pads: These are often used to distribute your weight more evenly. Very beneficial if your arches are high. They can be custom made if necessary. After a few months, you should be able to wear them less and less and eventually stop.
Night splints: They stretch the arches and calves overnight. Beneficial for those that have had plantar fasciitis for 6 months or more. Use for 1-3 months.
Stretch: Gently stretch the arch of your foot and your calf to help soothe the pain caused by plantar fasciitis. Lunge forward with 1 leg, try to get the foot of the other leg as close to the ground as you can.
Massage: Use the thumbs to massage the arches of the foot and the heels. You can also use a golf ball or alike to massage the arches by gently rolling it under the foot.
Ice: An icepack can help reduce inflammation. Cover it with a cloth and hold it over the painful area for 15-20 minutes at a time, repeat 3-4x per day.
Moderate weight: Any excess weight will place more pressure on your plantar fascia. Eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise.
Rest: Don’t forget to rest your feet especially with high-impact sports or if you are on your feet a lot. This can help with inflammation. While healing and resting, some low-impact sport can help, e.g.: swimming.
– Listed by Sharon Olivier, March 2021
Essential Oils
We would suggest the following:
- Lavender Essential Oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
Massage – Buy a base oil: coconut, sweet almond, grape seed for example. If you have 20ml of base oil, add half the amount of Essential Oil drops. In this case, you will add 6 drops of Lavender and 4 drops of Peppermint. Apply the blend over the bottom of the foot, as required. Twice a day at least. Especially effective after a bath.
** A patch test is required for application – 1 drop of aromatherapy oil to 4 drops of base oil. Apply a coin size amount to a patch of skin on the inner arm **
If sensitivity occurs, apply more base oil to soothe the area. Possibly avoid use for a further 10 days. If you wish to continue, dilute to ¼ of the original amount and test on a small area of skin. If there is no further reaction, continue with that dosage.
** Lavender is the safest of oils, if on a rare occasion you react, apply more base oil to the skin to soothe it and dilute the massage blend with more base oil **
** Peppermint – Avoid use during pregnancy/lactating, or if on homoeopathic remedies. Avoid use in children under 5. Use low doses, it’s a very cooling oil and strong. May irritate the skin. It is a stimulant, so be aware of using it at night time. Safe all around for inhaling **
You may use a plain Lavender blend as well, for evenings, if preferred.
