Every stretch, massage, and loading exercise
Why these eight: they cover the four mechanisms that actually move the needle on plantar fasciitis. Calf length (both gastrocnemius and soleus), windlass-mediated fascia stretching (big-toe extension), self-mobilisation of the fascia tissue (rolling), eccentric loading (a simpler version of the loading in the Rathleff trial), and intrinsic foot strengthening. Anything outside these is a distraction.
Wall Calf Stretch (Straight Knee)
Reduced ankle dorsiflexion is a documented risk factor for plantar fasciitis. In a matched case-control study, Riddle and colleagues (2003) called it the most important risk factor they found, and Bolívar and colleagues ...
Wall Calf Stretch (Bent Knee)
The soleus crosses only the ankle, not the knee, so it is stretched more with the knee bent. Bolívar and colleagues (2013) measured ankle dorsiflexion with the knee both straight and bent, and found significant differenc...
Seated Towel Calf Stretch
Plantar fasciitis pain usually peaks in the first steps of the morning, so many people stretch before standing up. The nearest trial evidence is for a different seated stretch: DiGiovanni and colleagues (2003) found non-...
Frozen Water Bottle Roll
Rolling the sole over a frozen bottle is free, takes 60 seconds and adds cold. It is self-massage, not a stretch. None of the studies in our references tests it, so treat it as a comfort measure rather than a proven trea...
Golf Ball / Lacrosse Ball Roll
The golf ball gives a smaller contact area than a frozen water bottle, so pressure is more focal, which some people prefer for specific tender points. None of the studies in our references tests it, so treat it as a comf...
Big Toe Extension Stretch
DiGiovanni and colleagues (2003) found in a randomised trial that plantar-fascia-specific stretching (using big toe extension as the lever) gave significantly better results for worst pain and first-step pain at 8 weeks ...
Eccentric Heel Drop (Step)
Rathleff and colleagues (2014) randomised 48 patients with ultrasound-confirmed plantar fasciitis to shoe inserts plus daily plantar-specific stretching, or shoe inserts plus high-load progressive strength training every...
Towel Scrunch
McKeon and colleagues (2015) propose treating the small muscles inside the foot as a 'foot core' that helps control the arch, and argue they are too often ignored in rehabilitation. That paper sets out a concept; it is n...