Getting back to exercise whether it’s walking running or sport has to be taken in
stages. Pain can be made worse when pushing to much to soon. First finding
your base line is key, using a pedometer and a pain diary is a great way to do
this. Initially finding how many steps you can do in a day with out flaring up pain
the following morning. Once you have found that base line adding 10% a day to
this. If pain starts to aggravate then keep the distance the same for a few days
before future increase.
Here are some basic things I get patients to do before
returning to running as a general guide to check fitness and
load tolerance of the plantar fascia:
-Walking 10km with no flare up in pain following a period
of rest
-Able to perform 30 single leg heel raises in both legs
-50 double leg squats with out having to stop
-Knee to wall test 8cm from wall on both sides or even
dorsi flexion which is normal for you.
-Able to complete 10 single leg sit to stands with no
support
-Able to balance on one leg 1 minute on both sides
-Able to jog in place for 5 minutes with no pain during or
following