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 (2013) found posterior leg tightness in patients but not in unaffected participants. Those studies show an association. They suggest calf stretching is worth doing but do not by themselves prove it works. The straight-knee version targets the gastrocnemius.
How to do it
- 1
Stand facing a wall, hands at shoulder height
Hands on wall
- 2
Step your right foot back, roughly 80 cm
Long step back
- 3
Keep the back knee straight and the back heel pressed down
Heel anchored
- 4
Bend the front knee and lean your hips toward the wall
Hips forward
- 5
Hold 45 seconds. Feel the stretch in the upper calf, then switch sides
Breathe, switch
The evidence
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 (2013) found posterior leg tightness in patients but not in unaffected participants. Those studies show an association. They suggest calf stretching is worth doing but do not by themselves prove it works. The straight-knee version targets the gastrocnemius.
Citation: Bolívar YA, Munuera PV, Padillo JP (2013). Relationship between tightness of the posterior muscles of the lower limb and plantar fasciitis. Foot & Ankle International · DOI: 10.1177/1071100712459173