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Open

Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sun*: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (*alternating)

Book Appointment

Book an Appointment

Our simple to use, online booking process makes it easy to book an appointment with a chiropodist for any of our services. No referral needed!

Book Appointment

Book an Appointment

Our simple to use, online booking process makes it easy to book an appointment with a chiropodist for any of our services. No referral needed!

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3 Exercises To Help Prevent Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a foot condition that causes pain and inflammation in the band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes, also known as the plantar fascia. The pain can be anywhere from your heel to the ball of your foot and usually feels sharp or dull. Overuse, poorly designed footwear, and weak supporting muscles can contribute to the problem.

What You Can Do

  • Rest your foot, use ice to help with swelling and pain.
  • Replace your Shoes. Well-fitting shoes tailored to your needs will work wonders. 
  • Look into the benefits of Custom made orthotics.

These suggestions will greatly improve your quality of life, but did you know there are some exercises you can incorporate into your daily routine to help with foot pain? In this article we will discuss:

  • Eliminating initial pain
  • Calf raises
  • Doming
  • Towel pickups

If your pain is gradually improving and not acute, you should check out the exercises explained below! These exercises will also function as preventative steps you can take to avoid injury or developing a foot condition like plantar fasciitis.

Please note: if you’ve experienced a recent foot injury or if your foot pain is acute, strengthening exercises are not suitable. In this case, you should speak to a qualified Foot specialist to receive proper care and find answers about what you should do.

 

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Eliminating Initial Pain

  1. As we previously wrote, to deal with the ligament directly, take off your shoes and socks so that you’re barefoot. Sit down on a chair, loop a tea towel under the arch of one of your feet. Push outward with the foot while pulling back with the towel for gentle resistance. Do this several times with each foot.
  2. Stretch out your hip flexors, as they can contribute to plantar fasciitis. Strained hips create a domino effect on the limbs and can change your gait, tighten your calf muscles and overwork the plantar fascia. Many yoga routines incorporate stretches that work out the hip flexors like the pigeon pose or the bound angle pose.
  3. Additionally, you can use a golf ball, or frozen water bottle to roll out the bottom of your foot. A frozen water bottle works in the same way as a golf ball would in massaging, but with the additional benefit of reducing inflammation.
  4. Next, and once you’re no longer feeling plantar discomfort, you can start with the following exercises to build strength so you can avoid the injury in the future: calf raises, foot doming and towel pickups.

Calf Raises

When experiencing plantar fasciitis, or any injury for that matter, it’s important to find the root of the problem. Don’t just address the point of pain itself. Since weakness in certain areas of the body result in a domino effect elsewhere, strengthening the supporting muscles in your legs is crucial. To help strengthen your arch, you can work on your heel and calf muscles through calf raises, which are essentially heel lifts.

  1. Stand at the edge of a step, and push up through your toes and with your calf to raise your heel off the ground.
  2. Slowly bring your heel back to the ground and repeat.
  3. Start with three sets of 8-10 repetitions and build up accordingly.

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Foot Doming

Doming is known as the short foot maneuver. What you want to achieve here is the cupping of your foot (to form a dome), where your arch is off the ground. Imagine scrunching your feet – effectively making your foot ‘shorter’ – and releasing. Don’t be frustrated if this exercise is hard at first, and as weird as it may feel, focus on the movement one stage at a time. Eventually, you’ll get the hang of it.

You can also make the exercise easier by using a towel and trying to grab it with your feet and pulling it towards you. This allows your foot to actually grip something. You won’t notice a big difference right away. The goal here is to improve muscle endurance so they don’t become overloaded when exercising.

Towel Pickups

A towel can certainly be an underrated strengthening tool. Let’s look at another foot exercise that incorporates a towel:

  1. While in a sitting position, keep your heel on the ground while picking up a towel using only your toes.
  2. Drop down, release and repeat.
  3. Aim to do two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions to start before increasing.
  4. If you get comfortable with the load, use additional weight to increase resistance.

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We Can Help!

Experiencing plantar fasciitis? Whether you’re on the mild or severe side of the spectrum, you can rest easy knowing we’re able and happy to solve all your foot care needs.

Call us at 416-769-FEET (3338) or Book Your Assessment Today!

Here’s to Many More Years of Foot Care!

At Feet First Clinic, we’re always excited to welcome new clients! After a successful 12 years of treating our amazing patients, we’re ready to continue offering only the best foot care services and products. Give us a call to ask our friendly staff any questions you may have! Our Toronto foot specialists are ready to help!

Call us at 416-769-3338 or Book Your Assessment Today!

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Emily

Administrative Assistant

Emily is the newest addition to the Feet First family. She assists with the clinic’s accounting and finances, as well as all the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the clinic running smoothly. In addition to her accounting smarts, she brings sunshine and positivity to everyone at Feet First Clinic.

Erica Halpern

Marketing and Administrative Assistant (She/Her)

Part of our administrative support staff, Erica also works behind the scenes writing and editing content for our website and blog. She loves researching and writing educational content to help patients and anyone dealing with pain. When she’s not busy in the clinic, you’ll find her at her local gym, exploring underground music, hiking with friends, or cheering on her favourite sports teams (Go Jays!). She also loves huskies!

Sophie Rudahigan

Clinic Administrator (She/Her)
Sophie prides herself on providing top-tier customer service. She is here to ensure a smooth visit for all clients. In addition to overseeing the clinic’s administration and day-to-day operations, she maintains the cosmetic appearance of the store. She is the magic behind our elaborate display case designs and also ensures the clinic is stocked with stylish (but still orthopedic!) footwear options for all ages.

Bianca Carter

CEO (She/Her)

Day in and out, Bianca works hard to ensure Feet First Clinic runs smoothly. Customer service is at the top of her list and she treats every customer like family. Bianca has a passion for fitness and is dedicated to helping people take care of their feet and body. There is no problem that she can’t solve and she believes that where there is a will, there’s a way.

Carolina Charles

Patient Relation Coordinator (She/Her)

If you’ve been to the clinic before, chances are you had the pleasure of meeting Carolina! Carolina’s daily goal is going above and beyond to make sure patients are always completely satisfied. Having worked in the podiatry industry for 22 years, Carolina brings a wealth of knowledge pertaining to client service, insurance policies, and procedures.​ She steers the ship to make sure everything runs smoothly on the daily. Carolina is known for spicing up every outfit with her signature costume jewellery.