This Gut Compression Technique Cured My Plantar Fasciitis And Dissolved A Heel Spur

Every part of the human body needs blood in order to heal, regenerate and maintain optimal health; unblocking the fluid channels of your gut will maximize whole body blood circulation.

Dear friends,

When I began experimenting with this gut compression technique a month or so ago, I was NOT expecting it to resolve - almost completely and overnight - the increasing heel pain I was experiencing in my right foot!

This experience opened my eyes - wider than before - to the profound importance of fluid flow in the body, with the gut forming the all important estuaries that either assist - or block - blood and water flow system wide.

Grabbing my inflatable ball to use before a hot yoga class, my intention was to move lymph and blood fluids in my gut to help my body eliminate toxins post sweat session (FYI: sweating is the main reason I go to hot yoga, and I do NOT force my body into over-stretching positions while warm and therefore “limber”, which can backfire later).

For years, I’ve touted gut fascia as my top choice if you forced me to choose just ONE area for release that has the most potential to heal the entire human organism. So, this line of thinking was not new to me; the technique I will show you today, however, was new; and it had profoundly positive and instantaneous effects on my body.

The heel pain I was experiencing was getting increasingly annoying, but it didn’t scare me. I’d been managing it with help from Stefan - we were using the Kinetix calf and hamstring techniques on this page (scroll down if you want to try these techniques with a partner), which was keeping the pain at bay while I theorized about the root cause(s).

Figuring the pain was mostly a result of driving the Volvo I bought in 2019, I was OK with temporary “pain management” because I intended to trade my car in. The seats in this car have terrible ergonomics and tilt slightly backwards, forcing me - at 5 feet 3 inches tall - to lift my right leg off the seat and keep it hovered in order to reach the gas pedal and brakes. Only when I’m on a freeway, where I can use the adaptive cruise control, do I get relief from this horrendous posture.

Earlier this year I visited a pelvic floor physical therapist who identified that my right obturator internus (a pelvic floor muscle that is technically a hip muscle but only reachable for palpation and release by going directly into the pelvic cavity) was severely contracted and extremely tender. I now believe this is why.

Driving like this - with my right leg lifted upwards and tilted slightly back into its hip socket - has been forcing those deep internal muscles (along with my lower hamstrings and hip flexors) into a shortened, contracted state of suspended animation - which is one of the best ways to create fascial constriction and density.

If you want to create dense fascia quickly that will ache deep to the bone in protest, just ask it to hold a static position without support for hours on end.

Like I said, I was not expecting this gut compression technique to magically cure the heel pain I was experiencing. However, it now makes perfect sense, and I got to learn something important that I’m excited to share with you.

Let’s break this down so you understand just how connected every “part” of the body is when you’re willing to see it as a whole organism. This will shed light on how important fluid flow is for whole body health, and specifically - regeneration.

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A closer look at plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

At first, it started as mildly irritating heel pain that was worst when I took my first steps of the day, and gradually got better…only to worsen each morning thereafter. These are classic symptoms.

After working with hundreds of people with so-called “plantar fasciitis” since 2008, I immediately had a sense of why the pain was happening and what to do about it.

Pain on the bottoms of the feet - whether in the arch or the heel - indicates that the fascia there can no longer absorb mechanical stress (such as being on your feet all day, or walking barefoot).

The pain is a message from the body to the owner of the body saying “Hey! I can’t perform my normal duties for you without incurring damage, so it would be great if you did a little investigating and made the necessary corrections.”

That’s when I enrolled Stefan to step on me. It helped, but it wasn’t curative. The pain kept coming back.

While palpating my heel I noticed a hard nodule was forming, suggestive of a bone spur (calcium deposit). The body does this when a given area experiences repeated mechanical stress that it cannot protect itself from.

Mechanical stress is caused by outside force coming into the body.

Mechanical stress can be physical, like standing on hard floors all day, getting punched in the face, or running on concrete sidewalks a few times per week; but it can also be caused by certain sound vibrations and electromagnetic fields, which can create a more subversive form of mechanical stress when entering the human organism.

Fascia is peizoelectric, which means that when mechanical stress enters the system, an electric charge is created that reverberates throughout the organism. The inverse is also true: when electricity enters the system, it causes [minor to major] mechanical stress.

As the water well of the human organism that is inseparable from the denser forms of connective tissue like tendons and ligaments, fascia is responsible for absorbing all forms of mechanical stress as they enter the body in order to distribute the impact throughout the entire system so that no single point of impact incurs damage or injury.

To imagine how this works, think about standing at the edge of a still lake, where you pick up a rock and throw it into the deeper water.

Hitting the glass-like surface, the rock rapidly disappears into the depths while it’s mechanical “footprint” echoes throughout the whole body of water in concentric circles that ripple outward, eventually reaching the water’s edge in waves that lap gently upon the shore.

Your body of water acts in exactly the same manner.

Water cannot be damaged; it can only change form.

Water is our best bet for longevity, physiological protection from stressors, and optimal health and performance.

With a healthy “body of water” inside we will be far less prone to injury because all forms of mechanical stress will simply be distributed throughout the whole system.

However, most of us are walking around today with mud puddles or cracking dirt inside of us instead of the “fountain of youth” that ever moving fresh water provides; we are becoming chronically dehydrated, brittle and full of “dams” - fascial knots and densities that block the flow of fluids in the body.

When fluids aren’t connected in ever-flowing channels, the organism’s water body cannot distribute mechanical stress proactively, leaving us far more prone to injury, degeneration, aches, pains and illness. JUST LIKE THE PLANET we rely on for life.

I do not believe it is mere coincidence that what we’re doing to this planet is reflected en masse in our suffering bodies.

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What does every body part need in order to regenerate?

Blood.

Blood is the human organism’s inbuilt “curing” agent for nearly all that ails us.

With healthy efficient blood circulation there’s almost nothing we can’t heal and regenerate.

When blood flow is restricted, both pain and disease can develop.

My right foot was not getting enough blood circulation to regenerate its tissues, leading to ongoing damage (or potential for damage) from an obvious cause of mechanical stress: standing barefoot on harder than rock laminate floors for 2 years in my California apartment. Combined with driving my car, my right heel couldn’t take it anymore, eventually triggering a pain signal.

Pain signals are always an intelligent response from a wise organism alerting us that something is amiss - so we can take action to help ourselves.

Left unresolved, my body did what it could to protect me with the resources it had: in an attempt to mitigate further damages, my body created “padding” in the form of calcium deposits in my right heel, aka a “heel spur” (bone spur).

Bone spurs are not a problem, and they are never the cause of pain (in my opinion) - they are the body’s attempt to limit damage while the real problem persists. But the body will never give up trying to get our attention about ongoing danger; which means the heel pain persisted despite my efforts to resolve it, while the bone spur kept growing.

Then one day in hot yoga I performed the gut technique I’ll show you below - and the pain all but disappeared. Overnight. And it didn’t come back for 2 weeks! So I did it a few more times, and to my surprise - mere weeks later - the bone spur was 80% dissolved!

Please note: in my particular case, true resolution will require me to trade in my car 🚗😒.

Blood circulation, fascia and the human gut:

The human abdominal cavity is a major meeting place of overlapping, interpenetrating and criss-crossing blood vessels, lymph nodes and fluid channels; vital organs; 100 million nerves; the pelvic floor, diaphragm and other muscles that make up the deep core (like the iliopsoas, obturator internus and transverse abdominus); and an entire ecosystem now infamous for its influence on our physiology, psychology and relationship to the planet: the gut microbiome.

With its vital organs; with the vagus nerve (known for its relationship to social traumas and incomplete stress responses) beginning its journey in the gut before traveling to the heart and then on to the brain; with all of the blood vessels of the body beginning their circulation of nutrients and water from the intestines to every cell of the organism and back again; with the lymph system culminating its journey of collecting toxic waste, dead cells and poisons that have entered the organism for disposal via urine and poop after being processed by the liver, gallbladder, kidneys and intestines; with its microbial ecology so necessary for human health and its ties to the soil microbiome of this planet; and with its mysterious relationship to the human soul and spirit as a second (or first) “brain” via gut feelings, intuitions and all kinds of sensory data that we feel and process in the belly and heart (vs the brain)…

There is no better SINGLE place to look within the human organism than the gut for both answers about, and solutions for, pain and illness alike - whether psychological, physiological, sociological or ecological.

Fascia is the connecting element, so an understanding of fascia can help us understand root causes and solutions.

If you’d like to take a deep dive into the world of fascia in order to make sense of your body, pain, the role of the nervous system and trauma in chronic pain and dis-ease, and why fascia won’t change just because we want it to or perform certain techniques (like fascia release), check out my course Mind Body Breakthrough.

To understand today’s topic, it’s helpful to know that fascia is the “in between space” that separates every unique element within us. This “empty” space is far from empty, however: it’s called the extracellular matrix, and it is teeming with life and “information” like light photons, sound vibrations, electrical messengers, nutrients, toxins and more. All nerve signals travel through this fascial matrix.

In its more physiological or solid state, fascia (or connective tissue) wraps every blood vessel, nerve, muscle fibril, muscle bundle, organ and bone; and the entire lymph system - with its own organs, vessels, nodes and fluid - is housed within the superficial fascia, a layer of body we “wear” like a wet suit just under our skin, while the musculature and deep fascia lie one layer below.

When fascia shrinks because of dehydration, stress, trauma, injuries, scar tissue, surgeries, repetitive motions and toxic poisons in food, air and water, then our blood vessels can become choked; nerves can get pinched; and muscles can become imbalanced, which throws our bony structures (like the hips, pelvis and shoulders) out of alignment; lymph fluids become sluggish; blood stops flowing efficiently; water can no longer get to the hard to reach areas…

Restriction to the fascial system - since it wraps, detoxes, nourishes and protects every other system - can lead to degeneration, aches, pains and illness.

The following technique utilizes compression and targets the fluid channels of the abdomen: extracellular matrix, blood vessels, intestines (where water is absorbed to help dissolve food and extract nutrients) and lymph.

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Gut compression can improve fluid flow in your entire body.

The following technique is NOT a fascia release technique. It is a powerful global compression technique for the gut, which is NOT an area we can target with Kinetix.

You’ll need an inflatable ball like this one or this one. (I don’t make any money from these recommendations). You’ll see in the pics below that I am using the orange ball from Barre3.

Compression (of any body part) offers many benefits:

✅ Enhanced interoception: the ability to perceive (consciously) what is happening inside your own body.
✅ Fluid flushing: compression creates a temporary “squeezing” of blood vessels and lymph, which - when released - will push out stagnant fluids (along with dead cells and toxic waste) while absorbing fresh blood and water as it rushes in. Imagine squeezing out a dirty dish sponge and then putting it under the faucet to absorb clean water.
✅ Internal feedback: when you, the conscious owner of your body, become aware of your insides via sensory perceptions you weren’t processing (consciously) moments before, that feedback is immediately put to use by the intelligence of your organism and used to facilitate healing responses as needed (such as moving blood to an area of restriction, or marking a neural pathway for rewiring).
✅ Nervous system healing: from C section babies and autistic children to adults who aren’t getting enough touch in their life, compression can feel reassuring and calming to the human nervous system.

Gut compression technique:

The following photos will give you a starting place, and the tips list below will help you tailor this technique to your body, your gut, your blood vessels and nervous system.

We’re all different, and there is no “right” or “wrong” way to do this (or any) technique. There is only the right way for you and your “today body” - because tomorrow you’ll be a different you, and have a different body.

Goals and technique:

• PRIMARY GOALS: to learn about your body, psyche and nervous system; to get familiar with your internal anatomy and its sensations and textures, and how your body responds to gut compression.

• SECONDARY GOALS: aim at a specific outcome (such as better digestion, stimulating your liver, pushing fresh blood to your legs or feet, better breathing etc) only if you have knowledge of why to use this technique for that specific goal. Otherwise, stay curious, playful and expect to learn something new about yourself and your body.

• THE TECHNIQUE: lie face down on a squishy ball that is SMALLER than your abdominal cavity; place yourself on the ball gently, then lie all the way down and relax; breathe; notice what you feel. Lift off, notice what happens, and then try another spot.

Tips to get the most out of this practice:

• Use a ball that isn’t fully inflated, so it can mold to your body’s various shapes.

• Plan to spend 20-30 minutes with this practice (maybe more the first few times you try this, until you are familiar with the practice).

• Spend 30 seconds to a minute on each spot, possibly longer if it feels really good or you think you need it.

• After each spot, lift off the ball completely (maybe stand on your knees, or stand up altogether) and notice what you feel: you might feel a rush of warmth through your abdomen and even all the way down your legs. You might feel a rush of cold, or tingly sensations. You might notice you feel less bloated or slimmer in your belly. This is all good data!

• Try placing the ball in slightly different places: moving yourself or the ball even one inch - up, down, left, right - can create a big change in sensation and impact

• Try moving your body into various positions: both legs down and relaxed, one leg propped up on the toes, one leg bent at the knee and relaxed, arms on the ground and an upright upper body etc.

• Play with your breath: use your breath to modulate the depth of the ball and how much compression you allow into your gut. When you inhale, the ball should expand along with your body, creating LESS abdominal pressure; when you exhale, the ball will deflate some and enter your abdominal cavity with more intensity and depth. I like to PLAY with this, sometimes holding my breath after the inhale, sometimes after the exhale; sometimes breathing regularly, sometimes breathing very slowly, sometimes deeply, other times shallowly…

• Consider targeting your gut strategically: I like to perform this technique in a certain order (if I have 20-30 minutes), starting from just above my pubic bone; then I move to my descending colon; from there up one inch at a time towards the transverse colon and across it one inch at a time; then down towards the liver and ascending colon, until I arrive back at my starting position. After this I lie straight onto my small intestines/belly button area, and after that I go into my ribs and diaphragm, and even my ribs and chest (not pictured).

• Notice what you feel: when you feel A LOT of sensation while lying on the ball, this is #gooddata! The more intense this technique feels, the more likely it is you need it (remember: healthy fascia won’t hurt when compressed, and there is nowhere else in the body with a higher density of fascia than the gut). You might feel incredibly uncomfortable; have difficulty breathing; feel like you need to pee, poop or fart (just keepin’ it real!); feel scared; or feel your heart beating rapidly or thumping under the area that is compressed…none of this is “good” or “bad”, and I could not possibly tell you if it is “safe” or “dangerous.” ONLY YOU AND YOUR BODY KNOW what is safe vs dangerous for you. But whatever you do feel, it is always good data - about your physiology and psychology.

• Use the data from what you feel to “put things in their rightful place” - any reactivity in your nervous system (like going into fight, flight or freeze), along with any stories or emotions that arise (like fear of hurting yourself or feeling angry) should be put in the category of the subjective realm. In order to know the objective truth about your physical body, you have to get anything subjective out of the way. Sometimes that’s not possible in the moment, which indicates that the subjective realm of the nervous system (psyche/soul) must be addressed first. This is why I call the nervous system “The Gatekeeper” to the world of fascia. Objective data is found in the pure sensations and textures you notice while performing the technique, along with any effects or results you notice after lifting off the ball.

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Ready to try this?

Please share the reasons you used this technique, and what happened during and after in the comments section below. 😊

By sharing our stories, we will come to see how unique we all are, and at the same time how we share the same common need for blood circulation and fluid flow - whether we are struggling with poor digestion, sluggish lymph, difficulties breathing, pain like plantar fasciitis and other phenomenon such as heel spurs.

And if you’re not ready to try this, I hope you at least learned something new today! If so, I’d love to hear from you as well. 🤓

With love,
Elisha

P.S. I hope you’re asking: “but Elisha, why is your gut fascia so restricted? Shouldn’t we be asking why until we land on a true root cause?”

Since this piece of writing is already well over 3,000 words 😳 I am reserving this question, and my answer, for another time. Because we absolutely ought to be asking questions like this! The answer has something to do with this post about how geography and weather affect the human organism, and this post all about birth stories.