Consider night splints. Most people sleep with their feet pointed down, which relaxes the plantar fascia during the night and causes early morning pain when you suddenly stand up and stretch it. Night splints work by stretching your foot arches and calves while you sleep.
We sleep with our feet pointed down. Sleeping in this position both shortens the plantar fascia as well as the Achilles tendon.
Use a pillow to elevate you feet slightly while you sleep, to improve blood circulation and reduce swelling and inflammation from Plantar Fasciitis. Feet can be safely elevated at six to twelve inches while you sleep, using a standard pillow.
This condition is called plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis pain is often worse after periods of inactivity, because while you sleep or sit, you're not actively using your feet. Rest makes the inflamed tissues shorten.
A night splint is a brace that holds the foot in place, with the toes pointed up in a position that gently stretches the planta fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles during the night. This brace can be an effective way to avoid the terrible morning pain that often comes with plantar fasciitis.
Activities that can increase the force through your feet and aggravate plantar fasciitis include: Running, walking or standing a lot in unsupportive shoes. Running, walking or standing on hard surfaces like concrete. Carrying a heavy object or gaining weight.
Can I Wear Compression Socks for Plantar Fasciitis at Night? Yes, compression socks for Plantar Fasciitis can help to provide some relief while you sleep and for those first few painful steps in the morning.
Best Sleep Position for Plantar Fasciitis
The key to sleeping with Plantar Fasciitis is to keep your feet and ankles in a relaxed position. Also, you'll probably want to avoid tucking the sheets in too tightly.
Walking around after lying or sitting for a time may ease plantar fasciitis symptoms as the ligament stretches out. However, the pain will gradually worsen throughout the day making you very uncomfortable and affecting normal daily activities.
Compression: Compression helps reduce swelling and improve circulation to the injured area. Use compression socks or tape if you notice swelling. Elevation: Elevation improves swelling and pain by preventing blood from pooling at the injured area.
Plantar fasciitis makes your heel hurt when you walk. The pain is usually worse when you get out of bed in the morning or when you walk after sitting for a long time. Walking barefoot, walking on tiptoe, or walking up stairs may make the pain worse.
Because of the inflammation associated with the acute phase of plantar fasciitis, soaking your feet in hot water is discouraged. Heat can increase swelling and worsen the condition. Thus, icing the foot presents a better option than heating.
Plantar fasciitis pain is usually worse when you get out of bed in the morning or during the first steps after sitting for a long period of time. While you are standing or walking, you may sometimes feel a sharp, stabbing pain in the heel.
“Plantar fasciitis most commonly occurs with the first few steps in the morning or after sitting for a long time and toward the end of the day from prolonged standing,” Dr. Lyon said. “Morning pain is from the sudden tension of the plantar fascia as it gets stretched after shortening overnight.”
Hold a cloth-covered ice pack over the area of pain for 15 minutes three or four times a day to help reduce pain and inflammation. Or try rolling a frozen bottle of water under your foot for an ice massage. Stretch your arches. Simple home exercises can stretch your plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles.
Since plantar fasciitis pain is caused by irritation and inflammation, staying off your feet can be helpful in reducing both these problems, so pain is reduced too. Keep your feet elevated while you rest and limit your exercise to low-impact activities like cycling or swimming.
However athletic tape should only be left on during the day, and removed at night to allow the skin to breathe. You can apply taping in the morning to give the feet support throughout the day, at night before you go to bed to avoid morning heel pain, or prior to exercise to keep it from stretching excessively.
Keep your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and let your arms hang naturally at the sides of your body. For a good night's rest, finding the right mattress for your body is crucial. A firm mattress is recommended, but some find softer mattresses reduce back pain. Also, use a pillow while sleeping.
Stretching the plantar fascia on the sole of the foot can be quite painful initially but it is important to try to push through this discomfort to perform the exercises.
The Strassburg Sock is designed to be worn at night while sleeping, or during periods of extended rest. For optimum results, the sock should be worn for a minimum of 6 hours per night until the sufferers has 7 pain free mornings.
“If you are suffering from plantar fasciitis, it is best to look for shoes with a thick firm cushion and one with arch support. Arch support helps decrease tension on the plantar fascia and a cushiony sole helps decrease the impact on the heel,” says Solomon.