Self Treatment Techniques for the Lower Legs & Feet
Below are some stretches and muscle release techniques for leg, knee & foot pain that I have personally used with good results. Feel free to share and try these techniques, but keep in mind that they might not work for you and are not a substitute for medical treatment. If you feel any sharp pain or your problem gets worse or fails to improve, stop the activity! For more details on my favorite way to stretch or loosen my own muscles, review my Self Treatment page.
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Tibialis Anterior
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Shin Pain and Arch Support MusclesThe tibialis posterior muscle helps support the arch; it is located underneath the inside front edge of your shin bone (along with foot flexor muscles). I've read that this muscle can become weak and stop working independently (partly because the opposing fibularis longus pulling down the arch is a much larger and stronger muscle). Strengthening this muscle is not hard, and can sometime help resolve various foot and shin pain.
Sit with your right leg crossed over your left, and place the fingers of your right hand between the inside edge of your shin bone (tibia) 4-6 inches above your ankle. With your left hand, pull and point your toes and push slightly towards the floor. While holding your toes in the pointed position, raise your toes away from the floor while also scooping your foot inward. Provide just enough resistance with your hand to that it feels like you are doing little weight lifting exercises with your foot. The right hand is only being used to feel the muscles contract beneath your fingers (not pushing to do therapy). The goal is not to try and use a lot of pressure with your left hand, but to try and only use the muscles under your right fingers (while relaxing the other calf muscles). Once you train these muscles to start working again, many foot issues may be resolved. |
Plantar Fascia and Pain on the Bottom of Your Foot
The plantar fascia runs from the heel to the base of each toe. Tightness in the plantar fascia is good up to a point, since it basically holds your foot together and provides a spring when you walk, jump, or run. But if the fascia is too tight, it may result in arch or heel pain (especially after being off of your feet a while, until walking helps it loosen up again), and may even cause bone spurs over time. There are a couple things you can do that may alleviate pain from tight plantar fascia.
When the foot is flexed, this fascia is directly in line and pulling on the Achilles tendon (and vice versa), so doing the calf stretches above will also help stretch out the plantar fascia. Lifting the toes during the calf stretches will accentuate the stretch. Direct massage is also good, either using a golf ball under the foot, or pressing with your hands. Gently moving the foot around under pressure (into and out of the pain zone) may help the fascia to release; if the pain doesn't decrease within 1-2 minutes, discontinue the massage.
I also found the following exercises helped me through a plantar fascia injury. Cross your legs and pull the toes of the painful foot back towards your knee. With your free hand, push into the tightest/sorest band of fascia on the sole of your foot. A burning feeling will result; don't press hard enough to cause severe pain! Hold the pressure for at least 2-3 minutes, at which time you should feel a softening in the tissue and a reduction of tightness. Repeat up to 3-4 times a day.
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Releasing the knots in and strengthening the tibialis posterior (arch support muscle) in your lower leg can also help reduce strain on the your plantar fascia. This muscle pulls up on your arch when you walk or run, and takes pressure off of your plantar facia, and often develops spasms Push into any sore or tight spots that you can find in the muscle behind your shin bone on the inside of your calf, point your toes, and "scoop" your foot back and forth (this might hurt a bit!) until the knot softens a bit or the pain eases (it the pain increases, STOP!).
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You can also help activate and strengthen this muscle by pointing and pushing down on your toes with one hand while you "lift weights" by slowly raising and lowering your toes, scooping your foot so that your sole faces upwards. Place your fingertips on the back side of your shin bone, and feel the muscle contract (this can help you isolate the muscle). Also place your thumb on your big calf muscle, to feel if you are trying to use it to cheat and help lift the weight! If this muscle is weak, it can't help decelerate the collapse of your arch under load when you walk/run, leaving the entire job to your plantar fascia!
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Finally, after you have worked out the knots and strengthened your tibialis posterior muscle, keep it activated by occasionally doing the "short foot" exercise. Place your bare foot on a flat surface, and try to draw your arch up away from the floor, bringing the ball of your big toe towards your heel (you can also think of it as trying to curve your foot into the shape of a kidney bean). Squeeze hard and contract your arch muscles, relax, and repeat several times This one might take a while to learn and can be frustrating at first, but once you learn it, you can easily do it with your shoes on while sitting at a desk and surfing the web!
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