How To Wrap Foot For Plantar Fasciitis With Ace Bandage?

Our feet are important parts of the body that enable us to walk. But, due to the high amount of stress they’re subjected to by the upper body, our feet tend to suffer from different types of pains. Sometimes the pain can be more concentrated on the heel, the arch, or the entire bottom of the foot.

Although there are many factors that can cause foot pains, one condition that’s quite common among most people is plantar fasciitis. In most cases, this condition comes in form of a striking pain that can be felt in the morning or after seating for too long.

Although this pain reduces over time, this condition can be worrying especially if you’re someone always on the go. Thankfully, plantar fasciitis is manageable in several ways one of which is wrapping the foot with an ACE bandage.

So, in this post, we’re going to discuss exactly how you can contain this foot condition using an ACE bandage. But, before that, let’s first familiarize ourselves with plantar fasciitis by explaining what it is and what exactly causes it.

How To Wrap Foot For Plantar Fasciitis With Ace Bandage

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

We’ve already mentioned that plantar fasciitis is an irritating pain you feel in your feet when you wake up in the morning or stand up after seating for too long. In most cases, this pain occurs when you injure your plantar fascia.

Plantar fascia is a ligament that connects your heel (calcaneus) with the base of your toe. Since it’s designed to support the arch of your foot, this ligament can easily swell when exposed to high amounts of strain. This swelling or inflammation is what causes plantar fasciitis.

What Are Some Common Causes?

  • Sports: If you’re an athletic person who’s fond of running, dancing, lifting weights, and practicing gymnastics, then there’s a high chance of straining your plantar fascia leading to plantar fasciitis.
  • Excess Walking: If you happen to walk uphill for extended periods, there’s a greater chance of straining your feet which can lead to plantar fasciitis.
  • Flat Feet: If you have flat feet, then there’s a high possibility of experiencing striking pains due to the structural problem of your feet.
  • Wearing High Heels: Lastly, women who wear high-heeled shoes have a greater chance of straining their fascia ligaments. Again, this practice can easily hurt your feet leading to plantar fasciitis.

How to Wrap Your Foot Using ACE Bandage?

Wrapping your feet using an ACE bandage is among the common home-based remedies for relieving the sparks of plantar fasciitis. Although this method works, you need to understand that wrapping your feet doesn’t reverse the condition or cure it.

Instead, it acts as a quick-fix to stabilize the fascia ligament from an unnecessary movement that can tear the muscle further leading to more pain. Having said that, let’s now discuss two common techniques you can consider when wrapping your feet with an ACE bandage.

Wrap Foot Using ACE Bandage

Method One

  • Step One: Start by sitting down in a comfortable position to expose the affected area. In case you’re wrapping your foot by yourself, then you need to place it on the other knee to have good access.
  • Step Two: Next, hold the rolled ACE bandage with one hand and the loose end with the other hand. Stretch out the bandage and place it on the ball of your foot just below the big toe.
  • Step Three: Extend the wrap from the big toe through the bottom to the pinkie toe. Continue wrapping the bandage gently but firmly throughout the entire foot. When wrapping, make sure that you overlap the previous round by about half the width to ensure there are no gaps in between.
  • Step Four: Since the problem lies in the plantar fascia ligament, make sure that you stop wrapping the foot when you reach two-thirds of the heel. This will ensure the bandage is sitting low on the ankle rather than extending too far up.
  • Step Five: Once you’re done, use elastic clips to close the bandage to keep it secure. If you’re using a self-adhering bandage, then you have to smooth it on the ends to make it firm.

Method Two

  • Step One: Just like the first technique, you’ll start by wrapping the ACE bandage from the ball of your foot just below the toes. Wrap it several times then proceed to the heel.
  • Step Two: Wrap the heel area properly then proceed back to the pinkie toe where you started. Continue wrapping the foot until it’s all covered with the bandage. By the time you’re done, the bandage should form an X shape below your foot.
  • Step Three: When wrapping, make sure the X shape is passing right at the center of the plantar fasciitis to compress the ligament to relieve the pain. When you’re done, secure the bandage using elastic clips or self-adhesive in case it’s a self-adhering bandage.

Let’s see following video:

Conclusion

Treating plantar fasciitis at home is one of the most common ways of relieving pain temporarily. Using an ACE bandage helps in compressing the affected plantar fascia ligament to relax the muscle to reduce the pain.

However, using an ACE bandage is just a short-term solution. In case the condition is substantial, then the only option is to visit a podiatrist to have your feet inspected.

In case it’s a severe case, then your doctor will advise other forms of treatments that include taking anti-inflammatory pills, corticosteroid injections, physical therapy, or extracorporeal shock wave therapy. In case of a worst-case scenario, then a surgical procedure is the last option your doctor can advise.

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