The plantar fascia is a thick and fibrous band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes. If you overuse, strain, or injure the fascia in any way, it can lead to inflammation and pain. This is a condition referred to as plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is an incredibly common condition, affecting millions of active Americans between the ages of 25 and 65. It can cause deep, stabbing pain in the heel that’s worse in the mornings or after sitting for long periods.
Our foot and ankle specialists — led by Matthew Hinderland, DPM, Jordan Cameron, DPM, Trevor Whiting, DPM, and Joseph Fleck, DPM — at the Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado in Colorado Springs, Colorado, always recommend exhausting at-home remedies before moving on to more aggressive treatments like surgery.
Thankfully, there are things you can do on your own to relieve pain from plantar fasciitis and help the tendon heal. So, in this blog, we highlight three ways to care for your plantar fasciitis and prevent it from returning.
There’s a wide range of treatments you can try at home to relieve plantar fasciitis pain, but we recommend starting with these three:
Taking a break from any activity that worsens your pain is one of the best things you can do for plantar fasciitis. It gives the fascia the time it needs to heal properly. Suppose you don’t want to stop physical activity altogether. In that case, we highly recommend doing low-impact exercises such as cycling, swimming, or any activity that doesn’t put added stress on your feet.
If you have tight muscles and tendons in your feet and ankles, it can exacerbate your plantar fasciitis. So, setting aside some time to do some simple stretches can help relieve tension in your ankle and calf and reduce pain as a result. Stretching can also help strengthen and stabilize your foot and ankle, which reduces the risk of the plantar fasciitis returning.
Taking over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can help to reduce both pain and inflammation. These medications can be incredibly helpful, but they should be taken under our supervision for short periods to avoid long-term side effects.
After your plantar fasciitis heals, there’s still a chance you could develop it again. Here are some lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of repeat plantar fasciitis:
In addition, carrying excess weight can put undue pressure on your plantar fascia. So, if you’re obese or overweight, shedding some extra pounds may mitigate your risk of an inflamed plantar fascia.
If you find that at-home care isn’t enough to manage your plantar fasciitis pain, schedule an appointment with our podiatric team so we can examine it and recommend an effective treatment plan. Contact us over the phone or online today.
