When it becomes irritated, or stretched more than it cares to be, it pulls on its attachment point. The pain is felt at the back part of the arch of the foot, just in front of the heel. It can be a sharp pain, or burning, and it's almost always worst when you first stand on it. The reason for this is that while you're sitting, or lying down, your body is trying to repair the microdamage done to the tissues. As soon as you put weight on it again, the arch flattens slightly, pulls on the fascia, and causes further damage. After you walk around for a bit, your foot gets more used to the stresses being put on it and the pain diminishes somewhat. However, without treatment, the cycle merely repeats over and over, until the pain is almost unbearable.
Massage Therapy can be useful in several ways. A well-trained or experienced Massage Therapist should be able to treat the symptoms, and to recommend exercises to help prevent recurrences, as well as help the condition to subside.
Treatment can be painful, as it is often necessary to work on the tenderest site at the back of the arch. The good news is that the pain doesn't usually last long, and most people report a diminishing of pain in a matter of seconds. I, myself, like to work on the entire sole of the foot, as well as the muscles in the back of the calf. Some of these muscles insert on the sole of the foot and contribute to the problem when they are tight, so it's nice to make sure they're as relaxed as possible.
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