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4 Tips to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Heel Pain
Plantar fasciitis is a top cause of heel and arch pain. The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs from your heel to your toes. It absorbs shocks when your foot strikes the ground.
Your plantar fascia may develop small tears or stretch over time or due to injuries. When the fascia becomes inflamed and swollen, the tissue stiffens and tightens.
Now, when your foot strikes the ground, your plantar fascia can’t absorb the shocks because it’s lost its flexibility. Instead, you may feel a sharp pain on your heel or through your archway due to the too-tight and swollen tissue.
At North Park Podiatry, our expert podiatrists — Trent Brookshier, DPM, and Ricardo Navarette, DPM — diagnose and treat plantar fasciitis and other types of heel pain at our San Diego, California, office.
Does your heel hurt because your plantar fascia is too tight and inflamed? The following are tips to help relieve the pain.
1. Warm up circulation
Anything you can do to increase circulation to your inflamed fascia may ease the pain. Heat and touch can be a powerful combination. Try:
- Soaking your feet in warm water
- Massaging your feet with warm oil
- Wearing wool socks to bed to keep your feet warm
You may also try exercises that gently stretch your plantar fascia or stimulate circulation in your foot. Gentle ankle circles may help.
If you don’t have luck on your own, try a physical therapist. They can show you simple exercises that stretch out the injured tissue and build strength in your foot to reduce the risk of re-injury.
2. Ice inflammation
If you’re in the middle of a painful bout of plantar fasciitis, you may get more immediate relief from the opposite of heat treatments. Ice subdues inflammation and reduces pain. However, long-term ice treatments slow healing, so just use it in acute situations.
Wrap an ice pack in a washcloth or other soft cloth before applying it to the sole of your foot or heel. Never apply ice directly to your skin. Apply the ice about 5-10 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day after an initial injury.
Or, create an ice foot massager by freezing a paper cup filled with water. Roll the sole of your foot over the ice cup for about 15 minutes.
3. Try orthotics and splints
Orthotics are customized inserts that go into your shoes. They fix misalignments in your feet that may contribute to your heel pain and plantar fasciitis.
The orthotics also help to absorb the shocks that your plantar fascia no longer can. We may add extra cushioning in the heel portion or create a comfortable arch support.
You might also benefit from wearing a splint at night. The splint gently pulls on your plantar fascia so it loosens. Sometimes, we might recommend a walking boot or other device to help take pressure off your heel until it heals.
4. Get a shock
You don’t need to turn to surgery for long-term relief from plantar fasciitis pain. Surgery usually involves cutting the plantar fascia so that it no longer pulls on your foot due to tightness.
However, other therapies help the plantar fascia relax and even regenerate. For instance, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) creates beneficial micro wounds in the plantar fascia that stimulate a rebuilding process.
The shock waves break up the scar tissue that makes your plantar fascia too tight. As your fascia heals, it produces new proteins like collagen and elastin that help it become strong, resilient, and flexible again.
We may recommend steroid injections or other anti-inflammatory treatments for short-term pain and inflammation relief. Surgery is always a last resort.
Are your feet itching to dance and run and walk again, but heel pain is getting in your way? Call our friendly team today for plantar fasciitis diagnosis and treatment, or schedule a consultation using our easy online appointment form.