Fascial Release

If we want to help ourselves heal our plantar fasciitis, it’s helpful to have an understanding of what exactly is happening in our bodies when we have this condition.

Most people think of plantar fasciitis as a foot problem. And that of course is true. Plantar refers to the bottom of the foot where your pain is located. Fasciitis refers to the tearing and sometimes inflammation that occurs in the fascia, or the connective tissue, in that part of your foot.

However, as you’ll learn in this video, the fascia in your foot is only part of the story. You actually have a chain of fascia that runs from your foot, up the back of your leg, up your back along your spine, all the way to the top of your head. We’ll call this your back line of fascia.

It’s really important to understand that what happens at one part of the line of fascia affects what happens at other parts of the line of fascia.

In addition, the fascia tissue weaves in with your calf muscles, your hamstrings on the back of your legs, and the muscles along your spine. The fascia works with the muscles to hold your muscles in place and supports your movements. You can think of all the fascia and muscles along the back of your body as one functioning system.

So, what does this have to do with the pain in your foot? Well, it has a ton to do with it. Fascia is actually made up of multiple layers, with liquid in between the layers. If you don’t have healthy, hydrated fascia along your back line, it could eventually become thick, tight and in the case of plantar fasciitis, it tears. And the most common place for it to tear is — you guessed it — on the bottom of your foot near your heel. And you know full well, that tear can cause serious pain.