If you’ve got a case of plantar fasciitis (PF), then you probably want to know how to relieve it as soon as possible.
Here’s a quick and dirty list for all the things that have helped me personally recover, plus two treatment methods I investigated and avoided, and one that by all accounts seems to help.
- Get a real diagnosis from a podiatrist, instead of guessing what is wrong with your heel.
- REST! Especially at the beginning, seriously get off your feet as much as humanly possible.
- Find out what kind of shoes might work best with your specific condition and anatomy with a shoe consultation at a good sports injury store.
- Get the right shoes. For a whole lot of us with PF, those are athletic shoes.
- Get some decent arch support in your shoes with over the counter inserts or custom orthotics.
- Start a regular routine of stretching your calf muscles, Achilles tendon and plantar fascia.
- Consider getting a night splint to prevent re-injuring your plantar fascia. (I have not done this but from research, this appears to help quite a lot of people.)
- Research whether you need surgery or cortisone shots. You very well may not – I haven’t, at least so far.
- Explore herbal treatments if you are so inclined. I get great help from arnica montana cream.
- Ice your foot in the acute phases.
- Listen to your body, both during any acute phases and as you heal.
To get more detail on all of these methods, check out the Heel Pain Treatment page >>
