Trigger point pain from Plantaris Trigger Point #One and how to find relief

STEP 1: How to Locate the Plantaris Trigger Point #One

The Plantaris muscle is a small muscle in your calf area at the back of your lower leg. It’s a unique muscle in the TrP world because it has one of the most distant referred pain patterns, sometimes even referring pain to the face. It arises at the back of your knee and soon becomes a tendon running along the inside of the calf before attaching to the back of the heel. It has the longest tendon of all the muscles in the body. It helps in moving the foot for pointing the toes away from the body (like in ballet). Place your hands behind the knee so your hands are holding up the leg and move your foot forward and back. You’ll feel the muscle tensing and relaxing beneath your fingers; that is your Plantaris muscle.

STEP 2: How to Self-Release the Plantaris Trigger Point # One

Self-releasing the Plantaris muscle requires a ball and a wall. Sit down and lean back against the wall, using your hands for support. Stretch the affected leg straight out in front of you, placing the ball underneath the muscle as shown in the previous video. Let your heel relax and fall to the floor. Although it is not recommended for beginners, to apply more pressure, place your other leg over your knee. Simply straightening the leg in this position will create the stretch. If you feel any numbness or tingling however, stop and restart, reducing the pressure the next time you try. Otherwise, hold for about 30 seconds and release.