What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on June 25, 2024
Written by Lori M. King, PhD
8 min read

Plantar fasciitis (pronounced plan-taarfa-shee-ai-tuhs) is one of the most common causes of heel and foot pain. It's caused by irritation, swelling, and pain in the thick band of tissue (or fascia) on the bottom of your foot that runs from your heel to your toes.

Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs

A heel spur (or bone spur) is a growth of bone on the bottom of your heel, where your heel bone connects to your plantar fascia. Heel spurs may be caused by the stress and inflammation of plantar fasciitis. Over time, your body responds to this stress and inflammation by building extra bone tissue, which forms the heel spur. You may not know that you have heel spurs because they don't usually cause symptoms by themselves. Any symptoms you feel are likely caused by plantar fasciitis.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

  • Pain on the bottom of your foot near your heel
  • Pain in the arch of your foot
  • Swelling on the bottom of your heel

Plantar fasciitis pain

People with plantar fasciitis describe their pain as:

  • Pain on the bottom of your foot that gets worse over time.
  • Pain that is at its worst first thing in the morning or after they've been sitting for a long time. After a few minutes of walking, the pain often decreases because walking stretches your fascia.
  • A constant ache.
  • Sharp or stabbing pain when you put pressure on your heel.

Your plantar fascia help support your feet while you walk, run, and perform activities like play sports. When your fascia are over strained, you can get tiny tears on their surface. This brings on pain and inflammation. 

You may be at greater risk of plantar fasciitis if you:

  • Start a new sport or exercise program or ramp up your physical activity fast
  • Do repetitive, high-stress activities like running or dancing
  • Spend many hours standing each day, especially on hard surfaces
  • Regularly wear shoes with poor cushioning or support
  • Have flat feet or high arches
  • Have tight calf muscles
  • Overstretch the sole of your foot during exercise
  • Have obesity
  • Are 40-60 years old

 

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and check your feet to see if they can tell what's causing your pain. They'll be looking to see if you:

  • Have flat feet or high arches
  • Have a tender spot on the bottom of your foot in front of your heel
  • Have limited range of motion when you flex your foot and try to pull your toes up toward your knee
  • Don't have any symptoms that suggest another foot problem, such as a heel stress fracture or Achilles tendonitis

Your doctor may also do some tests to make sure something else isn’t causing your problem. These tests generally include an X-ray. This can show if you have a bone fracture or arthritis . It can also show if you have heel spurs. If you do, it suggests that you have had tension on your plantar fascia for a while. This happens quite often with plantar fasciitis, although it doesn't usually cause symptoms itself.

Your doctor probably won't need to do other tests, but if they do, it's likely to be another imaging test, such as an MRI or ultrasound to look for fractures .

 

Plantar fasciitis home remedies

This is likely the first treatment your doctor will recommend. These are simple steps you can take at home to reduce your pain.

Rest. Decrease or even stop doing the things that make your pain worse. For instance, decrease or stop doing activities where your feet pound on hard surfaces, such running, dancing, or jumping. If you have serious pain, your doctor may also suggest you use a walking boot and crutches for a few days to take the pressure off your foot and allow it to heal.

Change your exercise routine. For instance, switch from a high-impact activity, like running, to a low-impact activity like cycling or swimming.

Stretch your feet and ankles. Tight muscles can make plantar fasciitis worse. Stretching can help you feel better and prevent the condition from getting worse.

Ice your arches. Put a water bottle in the refrigerator or freezer and roll it under your foot for about 20 minutes three to four times per day.

Plantar fasciitis brace

Your doctor may recommend you wear a night splint, which keeps your foot flexed while you sleep. It can help relieve pain first thing in the morning.

Also, if you have severe pain and wearing a walking boot isn't helping, your doctor may also put your foot in a cast for a short time. This completely immobilizes your foot and allows it to heal.

Physical therapy

Your doctor may also suggest you work with a physical therapist. They can design a program to improve the function in your calf and foot. They may have you do stretches, specialized ice treatments, massages, and other therapies to ease the inflammation in your plantar fascia.

Plantar fasciitis shoes

Don't wear shoes that are worn out or don't give good support.Wear shoes with thick soles and extra cushioning.A cushioned sole can help reduce the tension in your fascia that happens as you step and your heel strikes the ground. Replace your old athletic shoes before they wear out. 

Inserts for plantar fasciitis

A cushioned insert, such as a silicone heel pad, can cushion your heel like a thick sole would. Your doctor may also suggest you get custom shoe inserts (orthotics) that you can use in all your shoes to take the pressure off your heel bone.

Plantar fasciitis stretches and exercises

A couple of stretches or exercises that work well to stretch your feet and ankles include:

Calf stretch. Put your hands on a wall with the knee on your affected leg straight and your heel on the ground. Place your other leg in front of this leg, with your knee bent. Slowly and with control, push your hips toward the wall to stretch your calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Hold this for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat 20 times on each foot. You should feel a strong pull in your calf while you stretch.

Plantar fascia stretch. This stretch helps to ease your pain in the morning before you get up from bed. While sitting, cross your affected foot over the knee of your other leg. Grasp the toes this foot and slowly pull them toward you. If it's hard to reach your foot, wrap a towel or a yoga band around your toes to help pull them toward you. You should be able to feel your fascia like a tight band on the bottom of your foot with your other hand while stretching. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 20 times on each foot.

Pain relief

Your doctor will likely recommend you take an over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Follow the directions on your package. In particular, don't take it for more than a month unless your doctor approves.

Plantar fasciitis healing time

Once you start treatment, you’ll usually notice gradual improvement, though it can take up to 10 months for you to heal completely.

Other treatments

If less invasive methods don't work, your doctor may try:

  • Cortisone injections. Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can relieve your pain and inflammation. But your doctor may be cautious when using this because it can cause a tendon rupture or tear in your plantar fascia, which may cause your arch to fall and cause chronic pain.
  • Platelet-rich plasma injections. Platelet-rich plasma is taken from your own blood and injected into your plantar fascia. This seems to help the plantar fascia heal, and it doesn't have the same risk for tendon rupture that cortisone injections have. However, this is still an experimental procedure, and more research is needed to understand how it works. It also tends to be expensive.
  • Ultrasonic tissue repair. This is a noninvasive therapy that uses high-energy sound waves to break up damaged tissue so that new tissue can grow to replace it. Your doctor may recommend this for ongoing plantar fasciitis.  
  • Electrocorporeal shockwave therapy. During this procedure, your doctor uses high-energy shockwave impulses to stimulate healing in your plantar fascia. This is another experimental technique that may or may not work. But since it's noninvasive and has low risk, your doctor may try it before you consider surgery.
  • Surgery. 90% of people with plantar fasciitis get better without needing surgery. But if you've had treatment for 12 months and you haven't gotten better, your doctor may recommend a couple of procedures: gastrocnemius recession or partial plantar fascia release. During a gastrocnemius release, one of the muscles in your ankle (gastrocnemius) is lengthened to take pressure off your plantar fascia. During a partial plantar fascia release, the surgeon makes a partial cut in your fascia to take the tension off your muscle.

Plantar fasciitis is heel or foot pain caused by irritation, swelling, and pain in the thick band of tissue on the bottom of your foot. The pain is usually on the bottom of your foot close to your heel or in your arch. You may especially notice it first thing in the morning or after you've been sitting down for awhile. You may be more prone to it if you have flat feet or high arches or spend a lot of time on your feet on hard floors. You can help yourself heal by resting, stretching your feet and ankles, and icing the bottom of your foot. Most people will feel better within about 10 months. If you don't, talk to you doctor. They can help you come up with a plan to feel better.

Does plantar fasciitis go away?

Yes, usually once you start resting, stretching, and icing. But it may take a few weeks to a few months to notice any difference. And it can take almost a year for the pain to go away.

Is it good to walk with plantar fasciitis?

Yes, it can be helpful to ease your pain if you walk wearing supportive shoes. But if you have any pain, stop and rest. Gently stretch your ankles and feet before and after you walk to help yourself heal faster.