Exercises for Heel Pain or Tightness
Overview
Tight calf muscles can cause heel pain or make it worse. You may be able to help relieve heel pain by:
- Stretching tight calf muscles with exercises such as standing calf stretches.
- Doing foot-strengthening exercises with a towel and weights. Towel scrunches are one example.
- Doing foot-stretching exercises with a towel. For example, try seated calf stretches.
Talk with your doctor or a physiotherapist about which stretches are right for you.
How to do the exercises
Calf stretch (back knee straight)
slide 1 of 3
slide 1 of 3, Calf stretch (back knee straight),
- Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall. You can also do this with your hands on the back of a chair, a counter, or a tree.
- Put one leg about a step behind your other leg, with your toes pointing forward.
- Keeping your back leg straight and your back heel on the floor, bend your front knee and gently bring your hip and chest toward the wall until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg.
- Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times for each leg.
Towel scrunch
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slide 2 of 3, Towel scrunch,
- Sit in a chair, and place your affected foot on a towel on a hard floor (not a floor with carpet).
- Scrunch the towel toward you with your toes. Then use your toes to push the towel back into place.
- Repeat 8 to 12 times.
- It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other foot.
Make this exercise more challenging by placing a weighted object, such as a soup can, on the other end of the towel.
Calf stretch (seated, knee straight)
slide 3 of 3
slide 3 of 3, Calf stretch (seated, knee straight),
- Sit on the floor with your affected leg straight and resting on the floor.
- Place a towel around your affected foot.
- Hold one end of the towel in each hand.
- Pull back gently with the towel so that you feel a stretch in your calf.
- Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
- It's a good idea to repeat these steps with your other leg.
Credits
Current as of: July 17, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
Current as of: July 17, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
