What Can I Do About My Foot Pain – Plantar Fasciitis

what can i do about the pain in my foot from plantar fasciitis

You get out of the bed in the morning and as you take your first steps to the kitchen you feel a burning, stabbing pain on the bottom of your foot. You’re probably asking yourself, What can I do about my foot pain”? Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain. Learn about the causes, symptoms and treatment of plantar fasciitis.

Plantar Fascia

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot by stretching slightly when you step down and then shortens back to maintain the arch and support your weight as you walk. The plantar fascia absorbs a great deal of weight when walking and especially when running and is therefore prone to injury.

How to Wear an FS6 Compression Sleeve for Plantar Fasciitis  View Video

What is Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia generally caused by small tears or over-stretching of the plantar fascia.

Common causes include:

  • Arthritis can cause inflammation in the joints and tendons and can be a contributing cause of PF
  • Excessive pronation (feet roll inward while standing or walking)
  • Walking, standing, running for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces; athletes are at greater risk of experiencing PF
  • Wearing shoes that don’t fit well or don’t provide sufficient cushioning when exercising or standing for long periods

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

The most common symptom is a sharp stabbing or burning pain in the heel on the bottom of your foot. Pain is most commonly felt in the morning when first walking and stretching the foot. This is thought to be due to the fact that while you sleep, the plantar fascia shortens and when you stand in the morning, the inflamed or torn fibers of the plantar fascia are stretched, causing pain. Once the foot limbers up, the pain usually diminishes, but it may return after periods of standing, climbing stairs, getting up from a seated position or when exercising. The pain may lessen throughout the day only to return later.

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

Immediate Treatment

Give your feet a rest and try not to walk or run on hard surfaces. You can help reduce pain and swelling by icing the foot for 10-15 minutes after exercising and taking anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen or aspirin.

Wearing A Foot Brace or Splint

A study done with the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons looked at the recovery times of plantar fasciitis sufferers assigned to a calf stretching regimen vs those assigned to a night splint routine. The results were significant. Patients wearing the night splints recovered within about 18 days. Those with a calf stretching routine recovered in roughly 60 days. (That’s a 40 day difference)

A foot brace or splint that keeps a slight stretch on the arch can be extremely helpful in relieving your foot pain. Choose a splint that that can be worn in shoes during the day or at night, such as the  FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve or the 3pp® Arch Lift  

FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve for plantar fasciitis
FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve
3pp arch lift for plantar fasciitis
3pp Arch Lift

Other Treatment Options

  • Doing exercises such as calf and toe stretches before you get out of bed and taking your first step is recommended
  • Firmly pressing on and rolling a tennis ball under your foot is a good way to get a deep massage
  • Wear shoes with good arch support and a cushioned sole
  • Orthotics, insoles that go inside your shoes, provide added arch support, especially if you stand or run for long periods of time; wear orthotics in both shoes – even if only one foot hurts

Treatment can last a few weeks, but could take up to several months to a year. It’s important to follow your healthcare providers instructions. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a cortisone shot or if symptoms persist beyond a year of treatment, surgery may be an option.

How Can I Prevent It From Coming Back?

Once the pain subsides, continuing to wear your foot brace when exercising and at night will keep a gentle stretch on the bottom of your foot and the arch tissue loose.  If using orthotics, wear them as directed and continue stretching and exercises, especially in the morning.

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Looking for More Info on Plantar Fasciitis Foot Braces?

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FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve for plantar fasciitis
FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve
3pp arch lift for plantar fasciitis
3pp Arch Lift

Our blogs are educational in nature and are not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Because your condition is unique to you, it is recommended that you consult with your health care provider before attempting any medical or therapeutic treatments. We are always happy to answer questions about products mentioned in our blogs, however, we cannot provide a diagnosis or medical advice.

25 comments on “What Can I Do About My Foot Pain – Plantar Fasciitis

  1. I am struggling with heel and inflamed arch on my right foot. it’s hard to not sit down at work as a teacher sometimes. I have to carry icy hot and Maximum strength Tylenol in my purse to keep me sane. it feels like someone hammered my heel but i have to keep up my exercises so that in the morning I’m not suffering for work.

  2. This a very educational to me. Thank you for such valuable information.
    My problem is not only that I have PF , according to me, I haven’t seem a doctor for this issue yet, but I have a burning sensation beginning from top of the heel bone up to the entire heel bone down but mot under the heel.
    I wonder if this is related?

    I appreciate any useful comment.

    Thanks

    Sobeida

    1. Hello Sobeida, I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing pain in your foot. As we are not medical professionals, we suggest consulting with your healthcare provider for a correct diagnosis and treatment. I hope you find relief soon.

  3. Appreciated tips and insights here as well. I have shared the pain of you all and besides getting custom orthotics from a reputable podiatrist, I highly recommend you accept the fact that you cannot just wear any type of shoes anymore. To get temporary relief but then continuing to wear shoes that do not give you proper heel and Arch support will be self-defeating. Invest in your overall health – foot pain will become back pain if you do not wear orthotic-quality plantar fasciitis shoes a good majority of the time and cute, stylish shoes, sandals and tennis shoes are not hard to find nowadays. As far as care when you are not on your feet, for me, calf stretches are a favorite pain reliever and it truly does not take much time to get relief (usually 10 minutes or less). Even more effective is multitasking with even less effort by doing a light stretch while sleeping! Though they aren’t attractive, they are very effective; I am referring to night splints – I encourage calf stretches and wearing a lightweight night splint as often as possible.

  4. Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. I have learned a lot of important facts which are very effective to cure plantar fasciitis forever. Plantar fasciitis is a very painful foot condition.

  5. I suspect I have some plantar fasciitis going on in my right foot. I appreciate you suggesting I take the time to do calf and toe stretches before getting out of bed in the morning. I’ll definitely try this out to see if it gets rid of any of my foot pain.

  6. It’s great that this article explains how Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain and is an inflammation that is usually caused by small tears or over-stretching. If you have heel pain and think you might have Plantar Fasciitis, you might want to consult a doctor as soon as possible. When choosing a doctor to visit, it could help to find one that specializes in foot problems so that they have the knowledge and skills to determine the cause of your issue and how to treat it.

  7. Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. People often ignore heel pain which lead to harmful consequences. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on plantar fasciitis. It is elaborate and helpful.

  8. It’s good to know that a physical examination is generally necessary to diagnose plantar fasciitis. I’ve been doing some running lately, and my left foot has been giving me a lot of problems along my archway. I suspect it may be plantar fasciitis, but I’ll make sure to have it checked out by a specialist before pursuing any sort of treatment options.

  9. Thanks for the great article.
    It’s information like this that really makes a difference for plantar fasciitis sufferers.

    Thanks again!

  10. My mom suffers from plantar fasciitis and is a very painful condition. She had to seek help from a foot doctor to help her in the treatment and healing process. Along with seeing a doctor, I like the tips you gave that you can do on your own, like rolling a tennis ball on the bottom of your foo, or calf exercises to stretch out the muscles. Home care and exercise makes a huge difference in feeling better and is something that I will be seeing if my mom does.

  11. I tried the massage with the tennis ball so far, but I think I should give a go to the morning stretch exercises as well.

  12. Thanks so much for sharing this information on Plantar Fasciitis, and how it is treated. The fact that your shoes can cause this show just how sensitive your feet really are. In my opinion, if you are experiencing any heel pain like this, going to a doctor would be a good idea. Having professional treatment can help ensure that you don’t have to have more extreme treatments, like the cortisone.

  13. This is a comprehensive and thorough report on what plantar fasciitis is, how it can happen and it can be treated. It is very important to take steps to understand how plantar fasciitis is caused to prevent it.

  14. I definitely agree that you should rest your feet when you are dealing with plantar fasciitis, as the article suggests. In the past, I have at times felt like I didn’t want to slow down, or stop running for a while, but I soon learned that I really needed to. I learned that if I didn’t take a break then, when the plantar fasciitis was still fairly minor, I would end up having no choice but to take a longer break later, after it became more serious.

  15. In college I used to work at a physical therapy clinic where we would often see people with plantar fasciitis. It is an ailment that seems downright miserable. I agree with your tip about orthotics, because that’s something that seemed to help a lot. Thanks for sharing a few more tips!

  16. I didn’t know what plantar fasciitis was until I read this. My wife has been experiencing foot pain for the longest time. I suppose that this could be it. She really needs to buy a new pair of shoes with more support.

    1. I am glad you found our information on plantar fasciitis helpful. In addition to a change of shoes– strengthening and stretching exercises, a night splint and anti-inflammatories can all help to relieve your wife’s symptoms. With that said, its important for your wife to consult with a healthcare professional or specialist who can do an examination of her foot for a correct diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.

      I hope her plantar fasciitis feels better soon.

  17. I appreciate this information. I’ve had this stabbing pain in my heel for over a month and it is miserable. I told one of my friends about it and she mentioned something about plantar fasciitis. I didn’t know much about it, so I started doing some research. The information that you provided was most helpful.

    1. Susan,
      We’re glad you found the information in our blog helpful and hope that you find relief very soon.

  18. I’ve suspected that I have plantar fasciitis ever since I noticed a sharp pain in my feet. It’s the worst when I’m at work, since I have to be on my feet for eight hours every day. It never occurred to me that standing and walking for long periods of time might be what’s causing the pain in my feet. That would explain why I’ve been experiencing sharp foot pains. It seems like a good idea to ice and massage my feet after I get off work. Thanks for the tips!

  19. Thanks for the information. I’ve been struggling lately with plantar fasciitis, so these tips are really helpful. I’ve been looking for different ways to help it. Would you suggest getting custom orthotics? I’ve heard that they make a big difference in your foot and ankle health.

    1. Hi Mia,

      We are glad you found our information on plantar fasciitis helpful. While there are treatments that may be effective-such as rest, stretching, strengthening, change of shoes, splints and orthotics– PF can be stubborn and unfortunately in many cases there isn’t an “instant fix”.

      Since treatments vary depending on the cause of your problem, how long you have had it and the severity, knowing what will work for you is not something we can predict. With that said, there is some evidence that custom orthotics may help.

      Your best course of action is to consult with your healthcare professional or a specialist who can do an examination of your foot and give you recommendations for treatment. Although you can tackle Plantar Fasciitis on your own, consulting with a professional can help speed up the healing process.

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