Two Big Reasons For Painful Plantar Fasciitis Flare Ups

I originally wrote this blog post back in 2019 after I helped to move my daughter from Orlando, FL to Albuquerque, NM. It was a time of emotional stress and a time when I overused my body and didn’t give it enough rest.

Well, my daughter has just moved across the country yet again! This time she’s moved from Albuquerque to Dover, Delaware. Yes, I’m excited to have her back on the east coast!

While I didn’t physically participate in the move this time, I did provide support for her in various ways. I’ve ridden the emotional roller coaster with her as this all played out.

I came across this old blog post and it reminded me of that time and what my daughter has just gone through yet again. I thought it was a great reminder to take care of yourself at times like this because when you push yourself physically and then add in the emotional stress, then you often end up with physical symptoms just like I did with my foot/leg back in 2019.

So, read on for two big reasons why plantar fasciitis flare ups happen..

Cross country moves are exhausting!

It’s been an unusual week, I’ve been sitting in a car a lot more than normal.  I’ve also been on my feet a lot more than normal.  First came the sitting & then came the near constant movement for days. 

I’ve tried to take care of myself.  I’ve eaten as well as I could.  I’ve practiced yoga when it was possible.  I’ve meditated and written in my journal.  All of these are great habits, but when you are stressed in unusual ways, then your body often reacts anyway.

Usually your body has a place or two that will flare up when you are stressed.  Maybe it’s an old injury that will ache worse than normal, or it could be that one place in your body that always is the first to show signs of stress.  For some people, it’s the lower back or hips.  For others, it is the neck and shoulders. If you pay attention, then you’ll notice where these places on your body are for you.

Why is this plantar fasciitis flare up happening right now?

Right now, for me with all of this unusual activity, it’s my plantar fasciitis in my right foot.  It’s come and gone in the past and started from a foot injury.  Usually, it’s just enough to let me know that my right foot is still there.  Well, right now, it’s more of a raging reminder.  In fact, my whole right leg has tightened.  What started in the foot, has spread up my leg and I know that my unusual activities lately is the cause.   I also know that my body is just letting me know that it would appreciate it if I backed off a bit.

Yes, that emotional stress and physical overuse caught up to me!

Now, I’m listening and doing my best to give myself some rest.  The thing is that I didn’t feel very emotional while I was driving my daughter’s belongings across the country.  I didn’t feel like I was doing anything too extreme.   I didn’t feel as if I was pushing myself too far in the moment.

My body is telling me otherwise.  It’s saying that it was a big deal to move your 22 year old daughter to the other side of the country.  I don’t know when I’ll see her again and yes that does make me sad.  My body is also telling me that I did a lot of lifting, driving and other odd activities that I don’t normally do and that it did have an impact on how I feel.

So, I’m now very aware of what my body is telling me. How do I feel better right now?  This isn’t something that I want to linger any longer than necessary. Plantar fasciitis flare ups will happen but they don’t have to be so bad, right?

My solution…

It’s a lot of self-care. 

I knew that I had pushed myself a bit far while I was in New Mexico and got a massage to help that right leg calm down some.  It helped but didn’t completely fix things. 

I’ve also given myself as much extra rest as I could fit in.  That rest is helping me to absorb all of the emotions that came from the move as well as to recover my body from the unusual activity.

In addition, my current favorite friend is my small massage ball.  I’m using it to hit pressure points on my foot.  It helps my entire leg to feel better.

That massage ball as well as the foot stretches and strengtheners that I’ve given to so many students in the past are helping me to heal this plantar fasciitis flare up. I’m getting to use my own advice and it’s awesome to be able to feel my feet healing from it!

If your curious about those foot exercises, then check out my book. I wrote them all down so that it was easy to pass this information on to more people.

Healing takes time.

I know that I have to be intentional about bringing self-care into my life right now and mostly that self-care revolves around healing my foot.

Whether you recognize it or not, your body is affected by stress.  It can be emotional stress or the stress caused by overusing your body without sufficient rest. Learning to read the signs from the stress can help you to take steps earlier rather than later so that you don’t get completely burnt out or sick from emotional stress.

Stress is unavoidable.  It’s what you do about it that is your choice. 

So, practice a little awareness and notice how your body reacts when you are under extra stress.  This knowledge can help you to make adjustments in your life that will help you to not only reduce your stress, but to feel better too!

If you need help recognizing those stress patterns in your life, then let’s chat. Awareness leads to change and I can help you bring awareness to what is happening in your life that is causing the stress.

And remember…it’s never too late to live healthier and happier!