Can sports massage help with plantar fasciitis?

Sports massage can help to treat plantar fasciitis by targeting the muscles involved in the foot biomechanics and the areas where the foot pain is localised.

In fact, the most common cause of plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the muscle’s tendon and fascia of the foot.

Muscles, tendons, and fascia inflammation generally comes from mechanical stress or overloading of these musculoskeletal structures.

The best sports massage for plantar fasciitis and foot pain

The best sports massage for plantar fasciitis and foot pain is one that targets the muscles, tendons, and fascia involved in the gait biomechanics ( foot and ankle biomechanics ), such as:

Calf Muscle.
Soleus Muscle.
Foot Flexor Muscles.
Foot Extensor Muscles.
Foot Supinator Muscles.
Foot Pronator Muscle.

The deep tissue sports massage should target the trigger points where the pain is localised.

Most of the time, the pain is localized on the foot and more specifically on the sole areas of the foot, such as:

Forefoot.
Middle inner arch.
Heel.
outer foot.

Treating the trigger point and areas of pain is the right thing to do but treating only these is a mistake!

Many sports therapists make the mistake of treating only the areas of inflammation and pain without treating the muscles responsible for that inflammation.

Even if the pain is localized in the foot, the most important muscles responsible for the inflammation are located on the lower leg.

The inflammation occurs on the tendons (localised on the foot areas ), but the cause comes from the stress and tension created on their muscle fibres.

The best sports massage techniques for plantar fasciitis

To perform the best sports massage for plantar fasciitis and foot pain, the sports massage therapist has to use different sports therapy techniques such as:

Deep Tissue Massage Therapy.
Myofascial Release Technique.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM).

The deep tissue massage technique aims to target not only the superficial muscles but also the deeper layers of muscles.

In fact, the muscles that are involved in foot biomechanics are located on the third layer of the lower leg underneath the calf muscle ( first layer) and the Soleus Muscle (second layer).

The Myofascial Release involves applying sustained pressure to the myofascial restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. The sports therapist uses their hands, knuckles, elbows, or specialized tools to stretch and loosen the fascia.

The IASTM technique utilizes special stainless steel tools with particular shapes and dimensions to fit all the body’s muscles, joints, and tendons. These tools can facilitate both soft tissue mobilization and myofascial release.

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High Power Laser Therapy to treat Plantar Fasciitis

High Power Laser Therapy has a strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic action, which is particularly indicated to cure chronic plantar fasciitis.

Between 3 and 6 sessions are enough to reduce pain and inflammation to zero.

Shockwaves Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis Calcification

Shockwaves Therapy, generating high-power pressure waves, can break down the buildup of calcium in the plantar fascia, often occurring when the tissue is repeatedly strained and develops tiny tears.

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