Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia is strained because of elevated or excessive activity, deficient foot bio-mechanics or in combined with the typical aging process. The aim of the plantar fascia is to act as a shock absorber and hold the arch of the foot. The plantar fascia is usually strained time and again before any pain starts. The pain is caused by repetitive microscopic tears occurring in the plantar fascia, usually where it attaches to the heel itself.

Increasing your flexibility by stretching plays an important part in recovery from plantar fasciitis. Doing scheduled, day-to-day flexibility and strengthening exercises on the damaged ligament, heel of the foot and calf muscles, generally lessens the tension in the plantar fascia and encourages the process of recovery. It is likely to find people suffering from plantar fasciitis with reduced ankle movement range and very tight Achilles tendons. Stretching out these areas cuts the risk of a recurrence of the condition.

In recent studies more than eighty percent of patients suffering from plantar fasciitis reported that stretching aided their recuperation and over 25% considered that their stretching programs were the most productive treatment they undertook.

It is best to stretch regularly and gently. Start stretching slowly at first and carefully in the beginning since going too far at first during the initial points of the recovery process can damage the ligament and make things worse. Slow and steady is the best approach to stretching and noticeably gains in flexibility and strength come from a 'often and little' approach. Patients should do some light stretching at least twice a day (preferably more frequently) instead of diving into one long, aggressive stretching session on now and again basis.

To prevent re-injury of the plantar fascia, you should always closely follow a structured stretching program that has been planned to increase effort levels slowly as the ligament rebuilds.

Identifying plantar fasciitis early and a mapped out treatment system are crucial for healing plantar fasciitis. If treatment is held up or inadequate in the initial stages of plantar fasciitis, plantar fasciitis can take up to 18 months or more to be fully healed. Nonetheless by adhering to a properly detailed treatment plan and fusing many of the individual treatment methods available, thankfully in the majority of cases, non-invasive treatment cures the condition. Only in the most extreme of cases is plantar fasciitis surgery needed.

It can take many months for symptoms to vanish and the plantar fascia to be fully healed. Remember that a damaged ligament (even microscopic tears) only comes about following persistent and sustained stress and to heal this, extended treatment is necessary. Also, the longer the patient has had plantar fasciitis and the more severe the heel pain, the longer the treatment schedule.

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