Many people suffer from foot problems that result in chronic pain. Most of us have been told that we have flat feet, or high arches, and that nothing can be done about it except for buying expensive shoes and prescription orthotics. Western Medicine has come a long way over the last century, but the one thing that is overlooked across the board is that arch support and foot issues related to arch support might be able to be solved by rehabilitation rather than foot support. What they overlook is that instead of changing your shoes, you might be able to change your foot.
One of the many foot issues I see in my office on a regular basis is plantar fasciitis. This painful foot condition is defined as an inflammation of the plantar fascia, the thick, almost tendonous connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the ball of the foot. This tissue can be inflamed from overuse, especially walking and running on hard surfaces, but the plantar fascia does not exist independently of the fascia of the whole foot and even the lower leg, and the fascia does not operate independently of the muscle structures of the whole foot and lower leg. What is usually overlooked is most of the powerful muscles of the foot are actually muscles of the lower leg, and these muscles also provide arch support. See my article, Where Does Arch Support Actually Come From? So the muscles of the foot are the muscles of the lower leg.
The crural fascia, a hose or stocking-like structure covering the lower leg from the knee to the ankle, actually extends beyond the ankle, wrapping around the heel and continuing along the foot. When the plantar fascia is inflamed in cases of plantar fasciitis, working on this area can be quite painful, yet crucial for maintaining flexibility. Home remedies typically involve using ice and stretching, with a simple method being rolling a foot over a frozen water bottle. While this can be beneficial, enhancing the effectiveness involves stretching the calves and lower leg in general, which can be key in alleviating plantar fasciitis symptoms. Some individuals have found relief by solely applying sports tape to their calves.
Outside of addressing the calves, the gastrocnemius and the underlying soleus, getting some differentiation between the heel, the calcaneus, and the rest of the foot, the other tarsals and metatarsals, is often what does the trick. Keeping flexibility in the arches is likewise important even if it causes pain. Taking your foot through a natural range of motion when walking, instead of avoiding the flexing of the arches, will keep them flexible, but don't overdo it or it could become more inflamed. Like any problem, a Rolfer sees an issue like plantar fasciitis in a matrix and in relation to the whole body. One may find that the tendency to avoid walking over a painful arch will rotate their foot and lower leg laterally, and in doing so, the lateral hip rotators have become short and tight, hypertonic, so the need for hip work, which can also affect your lower back, is also in order. To a Rolfer, every problem is a full-body problem because nothing exists in isolation.