Foot pain stretches and massage techniques

Pain management
Written By Caryn Ranney

The feet are the base of our body and pain in other areas can often be traced back to the feet. Our feet are often a weak and immobile area because we wear shoes all day that may alter our posture. By focusing on our feet, we build a stronger base for the rest of our body.

Here are a couple myofascial release techniques and stretches that are commonly used to treat foot pain.

Follow these simple tips for stretching and myofascial release to get the most out of your stretch session.

Downloadable image containing both written and visual content of this stretching and myofascial release for foot pain blog post.

Plantar fascia release

Standing on a hard surface, place a tennis ball under the ball of your foot. Rotate your foot to explore pressure points side to side in a windshield wiper motion. Experiment by adding more or less pressure.

Illustration of a foot with a tennis ball beneath the ball of the foot and rotational arrows in a windshield wiper motion..

Plantar fascia pain treatment technique with a tennis ball

Arch release

Move the ball to the arch of the foot. Move up and down along the arch, exploring from the medial side of the foot (arch side) to the lateral side of the foot (ankle side).

Illustration of a foot with a tennis ball under the arch of the foot and directional arrows showing movement backward and forward.

Foot pain treatment technique — arch of foot

Heel release

Move the ball to the heel of the foot. Explore side to side in a windshield wiper motion.

Illustration of a tennis ball under the heel of the foot with rotational arrows in a windshield wiper motion.

Massaging the heel with a tennis ball

Stretching the top and bottom of feet

Bottom of feet: Press your toes into the ground. Keeping the ball of your foot on the ground, shift your weight and knee forward. Shift your weight from your big toe to your pinky toe in a slow windshield wiper motion to target across your arch. Hold any position that feels especially tight. Play with the stretch by increasing and decreasing pressure.

Illustration of a foot showing the ball of the foot pressed into the ground, leaning forward.

Stretching the bottom of your feet for foot pain

Top of feet: Press the tops of your toes into the ground. Keeping them on the ground, shift your weight and knee forward. Shift your weight from your big toe to your pinky toe in a slow windshield wiper motion to target across the top of your foot. Hold any position that feels especially tight. Add or subtract pressure to explore.

Illustration showing a foot stretching with the tops of the toes pushed into the ground, leaning forward.

Stretching the top of your feet

These techniques can release tension, but in order to truly treat the problem, one must reduce the original actions that are leading to the pain, such as posture or movement patterns.

Contact me to get started on managing your foot pain today.

Caryn Ranney
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Lower back pain and hip pain stretches