Plantar Fasciitis

Structural breakdown or inflammation of the long fascia connecting the front of the heel with the toes. This fascia helps maintain the longitudinal arch of the foot. BENEFICIAL POSES: Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, Virasana EXPLANATION: The plantar fascia holds the arch of the foot the way a bowstring maintains the curvature of a bow. It tears with excessive or over-repetitive force, and runners get this at Marathon training time. Another very common cause occurs when flexors and extensors of the foot are active simultaneously (and dysfunctionally), usually when both groups are dyscoordinated. It is as though someone held the ends of a bow and tried to reverse its curve, and thereby frays the bowstring. Yoga works through intensive and discrete flexion (Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana, Virasana) and dorsiflexion (Janu Sirsasana), which serve to combat the doubled tightness and spasm that is the cause and perpetuator of plantar fasciitis. Once the spasm and mutual antagonism of the flexors and extensors is ended, the plantar fascia will heal by itself within a week or so. REFERENCE: Huang HH, Qureshi AA, Biundo JJ Jr.Sports and other soft tissue injuries, tendinitis, bursitis, and occupation-related syndromes. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2000 Mar;12(2):150-4.