I don’t understand why people are advised to buy orthotics (at a cost of approx. $400.00) when they have plantar fasciitis. Everyone I’ve worked with through the years has improved immediately after we treat their lower leg muscles and then remove the orthotics from their shoes.
The muscles of your lower leg are responsible for moving your ankle and foot, including your toes. when they are tight they are pulling up on the insertion points and preventing you from moving normally. Orthotics will bring the floor up to the now-shortened muscle, instead of releasing the tight muscles so the bones can move back where they belong.
Think about your calf muscles which insert into your heel. when they contract you lift your heel up (stand on your toes), and when they are tight they are pulling up on the bone even though you are forcing your heel to be on the ground. Since your heel bone is the origination point for your arch muscles, when your calf muscles are pulling back on the heel bone, it is causing your arch muscles to overstretch, and you feel the pain either right in front of your heel bone, or in your arch. If you put lifts into your shoes, the pain will stop because the bone is now resting on the lift and not resting on the ground (as it should be), but it’s also giving the calf muscles more ability to shorten even further. Then you’ll be told that your orthotics need to be changed. It becomes a cycle, and it will only stop when you release the tension in your calf muscles.
If you have Treat Yourself to Pain Free Living, you’ll find several ways to treat your calf muscles properly, and while you’re at it, I suggest you also look at the treatments for your other lower leg muscles.
The vast majority of people can get total relief without the expense of orthotics, it’s certainly worthwhile to explore the muscles before you have to spend $400.
wishing you well,
Julie