If you are experiencing any pain in your feet (arches, heels, or ankles), one of the best things you can do is to give yourself a foot massage at home. This massage therapy can relieve pain in the plantar fascia tendon. Do this practice once a day for best results.
It is easiest to massage your feet while sitting on a bed. Find a comfortable place to sit and rest one foot on its side, putting a rolled-up towel beneath the ankle.
- Begin using a glide stroke across the soles of the feet. Using medium pressure, you should feel a warming of the skin. Then do some compression strokes by pushing outwards from the middle of the foot with your thumbs. Using a firm stroke, you will pull the skin outwards all down the foot from the toes to the heel. If your skin is dry or rough, you can use a lotion or body cream to do the massage. Use as much pressure as you can without feeling any pain. Go down the entire foot several times using these massage strokes.
- Next, do some circular massage movements with the thumbs and first fingers just beneath the toes. Again, using firm pressure, continue with circular movements all the way down the foot, and repeat several times.
- Then you should deeply massage the plantar fascia. Using your fingers, push up the middle of the foot from the toes to the heel with strong pressure. It might be a bit uncomfortable but shouldn’t be painful. Then take your knuckles and push them down the middle of the foot in a kneading motion. Finally, use the heel of your hands to push down on the sole of your foot from the toes to the heel. Finish with knuckle circles on the heel pad. If you can’t generate enough pressure with your knuckles, you can ball your hand into a fist and do the circular massage strokes with lotion. While doing these strokes, try pointing and flexing your toes in each direction.
- Finish with some toe massage and stretching. Put your fingers in between the toes of the foot and move your hand back and forth and in a circular motion. Then grab the toes and spread them apart while gently pinching the skin. You can also use some lotion and gently massage in between the toes where the skin can get dry. Toe massage should be pleasurable and is a great way to end your personal foot massage session.
Feel free to check our blog for more articles on foot care and pain.
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