Plantar fasciitis rarely occurs overnight. It usually starts with some mild irritation to the heel. Something you may have overlooked after a long walk or busy day at work or simply standing more than you usually do. Left alone that small niggle can develop into chronic heel pain over time.
Your initial thought may be that it’ll just go away. However, this isn’t usually the case. It may subside for a while but then return after your next workout or again when you’ve been on your feet all day or just moving about as you normally would.
The reason this is so frustrating for most people is that they focus on the pain rather than the cause of their pain. If you don’t address the strain your placing on your foot. It’s easy to manage the pain without really helping the cause.
Long-term relief comes from a combination of support, movement, recovery and daily habits that help to alleviate stress from your foot over time. Let’s get into it.
Many people searching for the best orthotics for plantar fasciitis are often surprised to learn that poor everyday foot support is one of the biggest reasons the condition develops in the first place. When we think of plantar fasciitis our minds usually go straight to heel pain but more often than not it can begin with repetitive strain building up throughout the bottom of the foot over time.
The plantar fascia is essentially a thick band of tissue that runs from your heel all the way to the front of your foot. During movement its function is to help support the arch and absorb pressure. Every time you take a step force is placed through this band of tissue, most notably when walking, standing up, running, or sitting for long periods of time on hard surfaces. Typically, the plantar fascia should evenly distribute load and stabilize the foot with little problem.
Issues can occur when the feet aren’t sufficiently supported to manage that repetitive load without issue. Loose-fitting footwear, excess standing, poor movement patterns and loss of arch can all result in your plantar fascia compensating for the extra work. Constant overload of the tissue will eventually start to cause irritation and inflammation, which can result in the stabbing heel pain we think of with plantar fasciitis.
Flat shoes that provide no support are usually the biggest culprit. Many of us wear these for hours every day. Footwear that is falling apart can have the same effect because the support materials your shoes are made from lose their capacity to absorb shock over time. As shoes lose their ability to support the arch of your foot, more pressure is pushed into your heel and the connective tissues of your foot.
Orthotics for plantar fasciitis come into play quite naturally here. Assisting with arch support and dispersing pressure can help take away some of the stress your fascia experiences while carrying out your daily activities. Orthotics have been shown to improve comfort for walking and standing for some people when used alongside supportive shoes and recovery techniques.
Shoes with good arch support and cushioning can also help alleviate the impact that is being placed through your heel with each step. While there’s no miracle cure for plantar fasciitis, one of the most vital things you can do to get better and keep it from coming back is to reduce the stress on your feet every single day.
The calves, ankles, and feet are closely linked when we move. Our calf muscles run into our Achilles tendon close to the heel which can affect foot movement with each step we take. If the calves and ankles are moving properly, the body can typically absorb movement into the foot and spread pressure more evenly.
Issues can arise if the calves are tight or ankles lack mobility. Decreased range of motion can limit the body’s natural movement when walking, running or standing. This can cause the foot to try to overcompensate for this restriction. Oftentimes, this can lead to excess load through the plantar fascia and heel.
When the feet become stiff, pressure is distributed differently throughout the foot. The force that should be traveling through the ankle and lower leg ends up being pushed into the arch and heel with each step. Repeated pressure like this can make plantar fasciitis symptoms worse or cause them to keep coming back.
Heel pain is rarely caused by just one area in the foot. Posterior tightness, especially in the calves and ankles can have a big impact on how much load the plantar fascia has to handle. Even small mobility deficiencies can slowly change the way we walk and most people don’t notice these changes happening.
Improving flexibility and range of motion through stretching and mobility exercises can help relieve some of this pressure. Calf stretches, ankle mobility drills, foam rolling, and light movement can increase flexibility and promote smoother movement. These aren’t quick solutions but increasing mobility can have a positive impact on reducing chronic heel pressure.
Plantar fasciitis typically comes on slowly rather than suddenly. Many times people start to experience symptoms after their feet have gone without ample rest after long periods of repetitive stress. Stressors that can seem harmless in our everyday life become painful when they’re repeated day in and day out.
Standing all day is one of the most common activities to blame. Many occupations require people to be on their feet or standing on hard floor surfaces all day long. When your feet are loaded through your heels and arches all day long (especially in shoes that provide no cushion or support), it can irritate the plantar fascia since it absorbs force with each step you take and even when you’re standing still. The longer you load your feet, the more your plantar fascia can become irritated and inflamed over time.
Hard surfaces like concrete, tile, or pavement don’t allow for much shock absorption which results in more jarring force going through your feet with each step. High-impact exercise, long walks, or physical labor can all take a toll if your feet don’t have a chance to recover properly.
Doing too much too soon can also cause problems. Starting a new workout program, suddenly running more miles per week, traveling by plane or on your feet more than usual, or even having a busy week after your body has been accustomed to less activity can all lead to foot pain. Your body may simply not have had enough time to build up enough strength and endurance for the new activity level.
That’s part of the reason why cross-training is so important for people with plantar fasciitis. Your feet need recovery from repetitive stress just as your muscles do after a workout. Rest, shoes with good support, proper stretching and mobility work, and decreasing your load can help decrease the irritation before it gets too bad.
If you’ve ever ignored pain in your feet for too long, you know that down the road you may need to explore more serious solutions. In some cases, this can mean procedures related to foot and ankle surgery. Thankfully, surgery is not needed for the majority of people with this condition. However, if you’ve had chronic symptoms, it can be a sign that too much repeated stress without proper recovery can lead to serious problems.
How your feet move when you walk or stand often significantly impacts the stress on your arches and heels. Minor differences in biomechanics can alter the distribution of force throughout the foot with each step. This is especially true when the activity is repetitive or for an extended period of time.
We often see this with conditions like flat feet or high arches. Flat feet can cause increased strain through the plantar fascia as the arch collapses. High arches don’t have much give, which can decrease the foot’s ability to absorb shock. This can lead to increased pressure on different areas of the foot. Uneven weight distribution can also contribute to strain if one part of the foot is consistently handling more load than it should.
Gait also plays a role. Muscle imbalances, poor posture, previous injuries, or lack of stability from other parts of the body can alter foot mechanics when you walk. These issues can cause excess stress to be applied through the arch and heel over time. For some people, this can cause them to be more likely to experience recurring episodes of plantar fasciitis.
For this reason, finding long-term solutions is typically more than just icing your foot when it hurts. Wearing shoes that provide proper support, movement patterns, rest, and overall foot health can greatly impact how your feet will handle stress over time. Some people like to incorporate reflexology into these practices as well to help decrease tension.
Catching plantar fasciitis in its early stages, before symptoms become hard to ignore, is entirely possible by taking action. Morning stiffness or a bit of soreness after a walk typically isn’t seen as a big deal. Tenderness in your heel after standing all day may not initially seem too alarming. Still, these subtle indicators might be your body’s way of signaling that undue stress is accumulating in the plantar fascia.
Heel pain is one of the first symptoms people notice. This often shows up around the bottom of the heel where the fascia meets the foot. It’s typically caused by the fascia becoming irritated after repeated tension in the tissue. Most people experience this pain when taking their first steps in the morning or after sitting for long periods. The plantar tissue shortens while you sleep or sit, then becomes irritated again once you place pressure on your foot.
Instead of taking caution with these symptoms, many people tend to push through the pain. Lengthy periods of standing, exercise, or walking without proper support or recovery can create more inflammation. This causes even more stress to the plantar fascia and can lead to chronic symptoms over time.
That’s why it’s important to address pain early on. Plantar fasciitis is much more receptive to change before the irritation progresses too far or becomes chronic. Wear supportive shoes, stretch, and manage your load. Reduce activities that cause repeated stress to help halt the irritation before it gets worse.
Some may even look into how to heal a heel spur if the pain starts becoming chronic because heel spurs can occur with prolonged stress to your heel as well. While it’s never too late to start supporting your feet, taking your plantar fasciitis symptoms seriously early on can make all the difference to your recovery.
It’s extremely rare for plantar fasciitis to be cured instantly. Most of the time it will go away after you take small steps each day to decrease the load on your feet. Consistently wearing supportive shoes will decrease long-term loading through your heel and arch. Combined with stretching and strengthening your movement will improve while tension in your calves and feet decreases.
Taking time to recover is also crucial. If you’re on your feet all day at work or training hard at the gym these small steps can help your feet have time to heal before the repeated aggravation builds up again. Decreasing your plantar fasciitis comes down to less daily wear and tear, not a quick miracle solution.
Once you start doing the little things right your feet will have a chance to rest enough to allow them to heal.
