How Do You Get Rid of Heel Pain from Plantar Fasciitis?

Heel pain is never something anyone wants to greet them in the morning. The smell of coffee and breakfast? Definitely. Kisses from the dog? Maybe. But heel pain. Certainly not.

But for many with plantar fasciitis, heel pain becomes an expected part of their morning routine. If you feel a sharp jolt of heel pain as soon as your feet hit the floor, and need to move around a bit for it to go away, then there’s a good chance you have this condition.

Whatever the cause of persistent heel pain may be, though, it should never be ignored! While plantar fasciitis tends to be the no. 1 culprit for heel pain, and consistent trouble should be addressed sooner rather than later to reduce the risk of the condition becoming more severe or harder to treat in the future.

Fortunately, plantar fasciitis and other sources of heel pain tend to be highly treatable once you get to the root of the problem. Below are a few of the many tools in our arsenal.

Our recommendations for each case will depend on the causes behind the condition and which methods will best suit each patient’s needs. Many times we may recommend more than one course of treatment for best results. But no matter the case, we will always be happy to discuss all your options and answer any questions you may have about treatment.

The Classics: Rest, Ice, Medication

The plantar fascia is soft tissue. And, like any soft tissue that becomes injured, can heal better with proper rest and attention. By resting, we don’t necessarily mean sitting on the couch all day and doing nothing. We may recommend activities that reduce the impact of stress on the area. If you exercise regularly, we certainly want you to keep going and may recommend cross-training and other changes in activity to help lessen the burden on the plantar fascia. Ice and anti-inflammatory pain relievers are often recommended to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Please follow all icing and medication directions as provided, and never place a source of cold directly on your skin. Always wrap in a thin towel and never ice for more than 10-20 minutes at a time, to avoid damage to the skin.

Changes to Footwear and Environment

Where you stand and what you are wearing can have significant effects on the strain experienced by the plantar fascia. We may recommend changing to footwear that is more supportive of your arches or is more accommodating to your foot structure and biomechanics.  Similarly, if you find yourself standing or moving about on hard surfaces all day, we may recommend changing that if at all possible. Anti-fatigue mats placed beneath your feet at common stations can help significantly if permitted where you work.

Custom Orthotics

When more cushioning and structural support is required than footwear alone, we may recommend custom orthotic inserts to provide the exact dimensions your foot shape needs. When properly prescribed, custom orthotics can help shift excess weight and force away from a strained plantar fascia, providing it a better opportunity to recover and a lower risk of it becoming injured again.