Plantar Fascia Relief

Plantar fasciitis is a condition where a degeneration of collagen results in damage to the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a fibrous ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot. Plantar fasciitis causes heel pain that is typically worse when you first start to walk in the morning. There are a number of treatments that can provide you with relief.

Ice/Anti-Inflammatory Medications

• The application of ice to your heel for 15 to 20 minutes at a time can help relieve some of your pain. This is usually done at the end of the day. Taking anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin and Advil may also help. The drawback with these drugs is that they increase your risk of stomach pain, intestinal bleeding and kidney damage.

Stretching/Strengthening

• Exercises are usually recommended to stretch the ligament and strengthen your muscles. You might be instructed to place a towel across the bottom of your foot and stretch your foot towards you for a few minutes before you get out of bed each morning. Other exercises include calf stretches, standing on a slanted board (such as a ramp) or standing with your toes on a two- or three-inch high block of wood while your heels are on the floor. You may also roll a food can back and forth under your foot while sitting. All of these exercises can help release the tension in the ligament.

Arch Supports/Orthotics

• Arch supports can help correct the impact of your foot when walking. These may be purchased over-the-counter or your doctor may show you how to tape your foot to help absorb the impact. Your podiatrist can also make you custom orthotics that you can place in your shoes to help alleviate the pain. Your doctor makes a plaster cast of your feet in order to have these made. They can be expensive, ranging from $75 to $300, and they may not be covered under your health insurance plan. Impact-absorbing heel cups may also be purchased over-the-counter or custom made for you.

Night Splints

• A night splint keeps your foot in a fixed position through the night, in order to keep the plantar fascia and your calf gently stretched out. This should mean less tension when you first begin walking in the morning. Night splints are molded from fiberglass material or plaster. According to The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), studies have shown that there was improvement in about 80 percent of users.

Corticosteroid Injections

• Corticosteroid injections may be given directly into the area of pain if other, less invasive procedures are not successful. According to the AAFP, this type of treatment has a better than 70 percent success rate. There is a potential risk of plantar fascia rupture from the injection. In addition, you can only receive as many as three or four of these injections in a one year period. Sometimes plantar fasciitis symptoms can take longer than that to resolve.

Surgery

• If all other methods have failed, you may turn to surgery. Plantar fasciotomy is an endoscopic procedure where a piece of the plantar fascia cut, relieving the pressure and pain. New tissue will grow to fill in the space. Some people are able to return to work after about one week, depending on the individual and the type of work, but complete recovery may take as long as a month or two.