The plantar fascia is the band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot; it connects the heel bone to your toes. When the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, the resulting pain can be unbearable. There is no cure for the issue but you can reduce the inflammation and the pain that goes along with it. What works for one person doesn't work for another with this medical problem; try any of numerous suggestions until you find something that gives you relief from plantar fasciitis.
Ways People Have Found Relief From Plantar Fasciitis
- Taking anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen.
- Steroid injections to the area.
- Doing exercises that stretch the plantar fascia.
- Stretch arches before getting out of bed in the morning; foot arches tend to tighten up during sleep.
- Do exercises to stretch your calves.
- Reducing the amount of walking you do until the pain subsides. Consider other exercises such as swimming until you can return to your walking/running routine.
- Wrapping and taping the area to support the foot. (A physical therapist can show you how to do this.)
- Wearing a night splint to stretch the calf and the heel of the foot while you sleep.
- When sitting, some people have found that putting the foot up on a footstool helps as opposed to leaving it hanging down.
- See a physical therapist who can show you tips on how to relieve the pain.
- Lose weight to reduce the stress on your plantar fascia.
- Add arch supports to your shoes.
- Throw out the cheap shoes with flimsy soles; only wear quality shoes.
- Wearing insoles in your shoes that are made for people with plantar fasciitis. Some plantar fasciitis insoles have magnets and while some sufferers claim magnets give them some relief, there is no medical evidence to back this up.
- Put insoles in your slippers.
- Getting orthotics custom-made for your foot and plantar fasciitis issues.
- Consider getting a short walking cast.
- Never walk barefoot.
- Wear an ankle brace; you can usually find these for around $10.
- Ice the area for 5–10 minutes several times a day; you can do this for longer time periods if you're wearing socks or have a barrier such as a towel between your skin and the source of ice.
- Roll your foot over a frozen water bottle.
- Have ice massages on the foot.
- Massage therapy can give some relief.
- Self-massage – long, gentle strokes from the ball of your foot down to your heel.
- Gently rolling a tennis ball around under your foot.
- Do heel lifts, gently going up and down.
- Shock-wave therapy (usually recommended only for serious cases of plantar fasciitis.)
The good news is that plantar fasciitis rarely lasts forever. It usually goes away after a period of time, especially with proactive measures. Find a remedy that works for you and you'll eventually be pain free!
References
Mayo Clinic: Plantar Fasciitis
UpToDate: Patient Information - Heel Pain Caused by Plantar Fasciitis
Heel Spurs: Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spur, and Heel Pain
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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