Yoga for Plantar Fasciitis: Positions and Stretches

Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that occurs when the thick band of tissue in the bottom of your foot—called the plantar fascia—becomes inflamed. This condition typically causes sharp pain on your heel at the base of your arch, especially when you put weight on your foot.

The best way to relieve pain from plantar fasciitis is by stretching your fascia and muscles in your foot and calf. Yoga poses are an effective way to stretch these structures.

Yoga Poses for Plantar Fasciitis

Yoga poses that stretch the plantar fascia target the bottom of the foot and your calf muscles. Tightness in these muscles has been shown to contribute to plantar fasciitis. Yoga is an effective way to improve your flexibility and decrease pain.

Perform these poses in comfortable clothing, on a thin mat, and in bare feet. Hold each pose for several breaths, or between 30 and 60 seconds:

Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)

1. Stand with your big toes touching, keeping a slight gap between your heels. Ground yourself by pressing into your heels, the outer edges of your feet, and your big toes.
2. Engage your quadriceps muscles at the front of your thighs.
3. Rotate your arms so your palms face your body, then slowly raise your arms out to the sides and overhead, keeping your elbows straight.
4. Pull your shoulder blades down.
5. Bring your hands together overhead if you can keep your elbows straight; otherwise, align them with your shoulders.
6. Raise your chin and gaze at your fingertips.

Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Spread your toes apart and press into the ground with the outer edge of your feet and big toes.
2. Inhale and raise both arms overhead with your palms facing each other. Keep your elbows straight.
3. As you exhale, bend your knees and slowly lower as if you are going to sit in a chair. Keep your chest up and body weight centered over your heels.
4. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground (or sooner if more comfortable).
5. Hold for several breaths.

High Lunge

1. Stand tall with feet together and arms at your sides.
2. Step your left foot back toward the mat’s corner while bending your right knee to a 90-degree angle, aligning it with your ankle.
3. Place the ball of your left foot on the ground, pointing your heel up and keeping the knee straight.
4. Lift both arms overhead, with your palms facing each other.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.

Tabletop to Toe Pose

1. Begin in tabletop position—on your hands and knees, with your hands in line with your shoulders and your knees in line with your hips.
2. Tuck your toes under and slowly walk your hands back toward your knees.
3. Lift your chest and sit back on your heels with your hands resting on your knees.

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

1. Start on your hands and knees, aligning your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Tuck your toes under, pressing down through your palms while straightening your knees and lifting your hips toward the ceiling. Keep your spine straight.
3. Engage the quadriceps muscles at the front of your thighs and press down through your heels.

Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

1. Sit with your legs extended straight in front of you and hands on the ground beside your body.
2. Flex your feet by pulling your toes toward you and pushing away with your heels.
3. Lean forward from your hips, walking your hands toward your feet as far as comfortable. Keep your spine straight. If possible, hold the sides of your feet.

Savasana with Feet Against Wall

1. Lie down on your back with your legs slightly more than hip-width apart.
2. Place your feet flat against the wall.
3. Rest your arms away from your sides, palms up.
4. Close your eyes and relax the muscles throughout your body.
5. Remain in this position for 10 minutes.

Garland Pose (Malasana)

1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips. Turn your toes out slightly.
2. Squat as low as you can, bringing your hips lower than your knees.
3. Bring your palms together in front of you and place each elbow on the inside of your knees.

What Other Treatments Help Plantar Fasciitis?

While stretching exercises are an important part of treatment for plantar fasciitis, other steps can also help reduce your symptoms. These include:

• Physical therapy: In addition to teaching you exercises, a physical therapist can help determine factors that contribute to your condition, such as the shoes you wear, activities you participate in, and weakness in other parts of your body that affect the way you walk. Physical therapists can also use other treatments, such as dry needling and low-level laser therapy, to address your symptoms.
• Inserts: Shoe inserts, called orthotics, can support your plantar fascia and reduce pain. Inserts can be purchased over-the-counter, But you may also benefit from those that are custom-made for your feet.
• Medications: Over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as Aleve (naproxen), Advil (ibuprofen), and Bayer (aspirin), can help reduce inflammation and pain caused by plantar fasciitis. In some cases, prescription-strength medications, such as oral steroids, might help.
• Steroid injection: Steroid medications can be injected into your foot to treat inflammation from plantar fasciitis. However, this can be done only a few times in total. And the injections must be spread out over several months or more. Too many steroids can cause damage to your fascia.
• Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT): This treatment delivers ultrasound waves through the skin into the affected area in the bottom of your foot. This may be beneficial as it can increase blood flow and possibly stimulate healing.
• Night splint: The tissue that makes up your plantar fascia can shorten and become tight while you sleep. Many people with plantar fasciitis have significant pain with their first few steps out of bed as the ligament is stretched. A night splint can be worn to hold your foot, ankle, and/or toes in a position that stretches this structure at night.
• Surgery: As a last resort, surgery is sometimes performed for plantar fasciitis. However, this is not always effective and can lead to additional complications such as scar tissue and permanent damage to your fascia.