Doctor-Approved Home Remedies for Plantar Fasciitis Relief
Ever woken up and felt a jolt of pain with your first step out of bed, right in your heel? Or maybe by midday, that ache in the arch of your foot is just relentless? This kind of nagging, persistent foot discomfort is incredibly common and often points to a condition called plantar fasciitis. It can turn simple activities like walking, standing or just getting up, into an ordeal. Travis Langan, DPM, FACFAS, UnityPoint Health, explains how you get it and how to deal with it.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis pain hurts in the bottom of the foot, typically the heel or arch. The plantar fascia is a ligament that extends from the heel bone out to the toes. Its primary job is to help support the arch of your foot.
“The pain essentially comes from a significant amount of inflammation and micro-tears in the plantar fascia ligament, right where it connects to the heel bone,” Dr. Langan says.
What Does Plantar Fasciitis Feel Like?
People describe plantar fasciitis symptoms as a sharp pain in the bottom of their heel. This discomfort frequently occurs after a period of rest.
“For example, you might feel it after sitting for a few minutes or with your first steps in the morning. This initial pain can be intense, and the discomfort often gets worse throughout the day as you spend more time on your feet,” Dr. Langan says.
Plantar fasciitis pain commonly happens in people who work jobs that involve a lot of walking or standing on concrete or tile floors. It also appears in individuals who participate in repetitive activities, like running or training for a marathon.
It can happen randomly, too. Flare-ups occur without any changes in your activity level.
“It's typically not caused by an acute trauma but rather has a gradual onset, getting significantly worse over a week or two,” Dr. Langan says.
Can Plantar Fasciitis Cause Ankle or Knee Pain?
While typically felt in the heel, plantar fasciitis pain can also present in the middle of the arch of the foot or even closer to the big toe. This discomfort isn't directly linked to ankle or knee pain though.
“Your body is smart and will try to compensate to avoid pain, causing you to walk differently. This altered gait can put extra stress on areas not meant to bear that load, potentially leading to secondary pain in the ankle or knee,” Dr. Langan says.
Does Plantar Fasciitis Go Away?
The pain from plantar fasciitis can last a few weeks to months. Dr. Langan says some people struggle with it for years.
Usually, if we use physician-guided treatment, we can get plantar fasciitis to heal and go away,” Dr. Langan says. “However, when you stop doing your exercises or simple maintenance on the problem area, it can come back and be a recurrent problem. If you stick with it, it usually won’t flare again.”
How to Get Rid of Plantar Fasciitis
Getting rid of the pain isn’t an overnight fix, but Dr. Langan says 90% of the time, it gets better with these simple plantar fasciitis home remedies and self-care methods:
- Reducing inflammation: Icing the area, short courses of oral anti-inflammatory medication (prescription or over-the-counter) and sometimes a cortisone shot for plantar fasciitis, directly into the inflamed area, bring relief.
- Stretching: The focus is the Achilles tendon, because when it’s tight, it puts extra stress on the plantar fascia. Consistent calf stretches (like a runner's stretch) for two to three minutes, five to seven times a day, are highly recommended.
- Wearing proper shoe support: Since the plantar fascia supports the arch, you want to prevent it from collapsing during each step. Choose shoes with good arch support and wear them at home. Consider adding semi-rigid, full-length arch supports. Avoid overly soft or cushiony insoles. They don't provide the necessary rigidity to prevent arch collapse and reduce stress on the ligament.
If initial treatments don’t relieve your plantar fasciitis, Dr. Langan says there are other effective options to explore. A telltale sign your plantar fasciitis is healing is when you no longer feel pain.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatments
Physical therapy, for example, offers special techniques that are difficult to do on your own. These include better plantar fasciitis massages and stretches, plus tools like ultrasound, which uses sound waves to calm swelling. Some clinics also use shockwave therapy (ESWT) to kickstart healing and quiet sensitive nerves that cause pain, though this often isn't covered by insurance. Dry needling for plantar fasciitis also encourages healing in the area.
Despite these advanced tools, Dr. Langan says, "By far and away, about 90% of people get better with these simple, non-surgical approaches. It's only a small percentage, maybe 5-10%, who don't improve."
For this group, plantar fasciitis surgery might be an option. A plantar fasciotomy involves cutting or removing the unhealthy part of the band of tissue that connects to the heel bone. This helps the fascia lengthen and heal with healthy tissue.
However, surgery is always the last resort.
Dr. Langan says, “Typically, there's a short time off your foot, maybe one to three weeks depending on the surgery's intensity. Then, you'll be in a boot for a bit, followed by therapy to get you back into shoes around four to six weeks post-surgery.”
Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciitis
Acupuncture is another approach for treating plantar fasciitis, and while it's different from dry needling, it shares a similar goal: to encourage a healing response in the painful area. While acupuncture can be effective, physical therapy, regenerative medicine and shockwave therapy are evidence-based practices supported by medical literature.
Shoes, Tape and Socks for Plantar Fasciitis
While some patients ask about using kinesiology tape (KT tape) for plantar fasciitis, it's not usually necessary. A physical therapist might use KT tape for people really struggling with pain.
Similarly, foot braces for plantar fasciitis aren’t commonly used outside of post-surgical recovery. Instead, a good over-the-counter arch support insert is preferred.
“Compression socks, especially those with extra arch compression, provide additional support to the plantar fascia, similar to how KT tape functions. Sometimes, a little extra support is all that's needed,” Dr. Langan adds.
What Doctor Treats Plantar Fasciitis?
Some primary care doctors can help with the initial symptoms and suggest stretches or medicine for treating plantar fasciitis at home. If your pain keeps bothering you, see a specialist. Podiatrists (foot and ankle specialists) and orthopedic surgeons offer a deeper understanding and complete plan to make the pain go away and keep it from coming back.
How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis
Keeping plantar fasciitis at bay often comes down to one key habit: consistently wearing supportive shoes, even at home. Skip the flat footwear and, instead, choose sandals, slippers or tennis shoes with good arch support. This simple step is the best for both recovery and preventing future flare-ups.