5 Ways to Treat Plantar Fasciitis Pain

Have you ever woken up to intolerable foot pain? Perhaps a stabbing-like pain in your heel that starts in the morning and then increases throughout your day? If you have experienced some of these symptoms, then you might be dealing with a case of plantar fasciitis.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis, similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, is a type of inflammation injury. It is caused by the over-stretching or degeneration of the arch of the foot due to excessive strain. In other words, it is a type of repetitive strain injury causing foot arch and heel pain.

Common causes of this chronic inflammation can be due to excessive jumping, standing for long periods of time, wearing high heels, and high impact activities or sports. It can be found mostly in middle-aged people, runners, overweight people, or individuals who have flat feet or spend large amounts of time standing on their feet.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatments

Here are 5 easy ways to ease the pain caused by plantar fasciitis:

Foot Stretches

A very popular exercise that is often recommended for people suffering from plantar fasciitis is foot rolls. Foot rolls are an excellent and practical way to stretch the arches of your foot. Most people tend to use anything from a frozen water bottle and a tennis ball to a foot/hand massage roller. Rolling your foot over a frozen water bottle can give you both the benefits of icing and stretching in a single exercise.

Orthotic Insoles

Using orthotic insoles or inserts in your shoes can help greatly in removing stress from your plantar fascia while adding comfort to your feet. There is a wide variety of brand insoles that might help, click here for a helpful list. Also, when you are experiencing pain from plantar fasciitis, you want to have shoes that provide the most cushion and comfort to your feet. It is very important to avoid wearing flip flops for long periods of time. Many doctors highly discourage the use of flip flops, even amongst people that don’t have plantar fasciitis. The reason for this being that their super thin and flat structure can cause your feet to overgrip, putting a large amount of stress on your foot arch and plantar fascia.

Medical Splints

A lot of doctors highly recommend medical splints to be used in the evenings. Medical splints can stretch the arch and calf, managing to lighten pain and loosen the muscles of the foot. Here is one type of medical splint specifically designed to deal with plantar fasciitis pain.

Ice Packs

Ice, which is known to reduce inflammation and provide relief, is a very inexpensive way to treat plantar fasciitis pain. According to professionals, ice can cause blood vessels to temporarily constrict and slow down the flow of blood, reducing nerve sensations of pain. Using ice cubes wrapped in a cloth or engaging in frozen water bottle exercises, such as the one mentioned above, are good ways to use icing for plantar fasciitis pain.

Acupuncture

A very well known type of alternative medicine, acupuncture, has been a popular approach to alleviate pain associated with plantar fasciitis. Acupuncture, the insertion of needles into specific nerve points of the skin, can help reduce inflammation, relax tissues and improve blood flow.

While there are many different at-home ways to treat pain associated with plantar fasciitis, it is highly recommended to first speak with your doctor about your particular medical case and treatments.