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First off, I want to make it 100% clear before you read this post that I am not a medical professional of any kind. Today I am simply sharing what has worked to calm my plantar fasciitis down from pain so bad that even walking through the grocery store took effort to being able to run 3 miles again (almost) completely pain-free.
What I share might work for you and it might not. I found out about all the things that I tried from searching “plantar fasciitis help” through Google. I tried a lot of different things until I found a combination of things that seemed to work the best for me.
Regular readers, I know plantar Fasciitis doesn’t fit with my normal writing subjects, but people in real life and through the virtual world of blogging have been asking me how I managed to get my plantar fasciitis to heal enough for me to run again. I was sharing links to products that helped me all over the place when I finally decided to write a post with all the links in it so I can share the link to it over and over. Much easier! And I am all about keeping it simple.
3 Plantar Fasciitis Products I Found The Most Helpful
Night Splint/Boot
Purchasing this particular night splint/boot, in my opinion, did more to help calm my plantar fasciitis than anything else. I am saying calm in this article instead of heal because I am still experiencing pain, but it is very mild.
At first, I was wearing a night sock (like this one) and it was helping. However, for some reason within a month of wearing it, my big toe became infected beside the toenail. Now I have spoken to many people who have had great luck with the sock and it certainly is less cumbersome to wear than the boot. I am the only one I know who ended up with an infected toe. Who knows why! My body is weird.
Once I replaced the sock with a boot I did something that I think made all the difference in the world. Since the boot is so simple to get off and on I started wearing it not only when I was sleeping, but also during the day whenever I was sitting.
This is not a walking boot. You cannot walk in it, but since it is so easy to snap on and off I just leave it where I sit and work during the day and snap it on and off as needed. The extra time in the boot seemed to make all the difference for me. Once I started doing this my pain significantly decreased within just a few days.
Compression foot sleeves
From the moment I get up in the morning until the time I go to bed, my affected foot is in a compression sleeve. I have tried two brands and so far I like this one best. However, I think it really depends on the shape and length of your foot. I have a narrow foot and wear a size 10 women’s shoe.
Foot compression sleeves simply provide added support, they do not heal, but for me, they make a huge difference in my pain level if I have to walk or stand for any amount of time during the day–especially in the beginning stages of healing. Even with my foot giving me minimal pain now I still wear my compression sleeve most days and I wear it every time I run.
Shoe Insert
Shoe inserts for me dropped my pain level by at least 2 points on the pain scale the first time I put them in my shoes and went walking around the grocery store in them.
I have had great luck with the airplus plantar fascia orthotic (the link lets you see what they look like. Mine are pink for women and I get mine at Walmart for around $9). I chose this brand because I was told by someone that the main thing to look for in a plantar fascia insert is a solid arch support. In other words, if the arch part of the foot insert is flexible it isn’t going to work well for providing relief.
3 Things I Had To Do Physically To Help My Plantar Fasciitis Heal
Stop going barefoot
This one was hard for me. I am a huge barefoot lover. But the more I researched the more I saw over and over “stop going barefoot if you want to heal your plantar fasciitis.” I don’t like wearing outdoor shoes indoors so in the end, I started wearing a pair of clogs similar to these that I can easily slip on and off whenever I need to walk around the house. I put the inserts I told you about inside them. They work well.
Give up flip flops and unsupportive shoes
Again–hard! Lets face it, most shoes that are fashionable and cute are not supportive. And no flip flops! Torture in the summer time. I am still looking for a good supportive summer sandal. I have tried out a few brands and no luck yet. Some do seem to keep me fairly pain-free but only if I am not walking much in them. If I want to walk a lot I have to switch to runners or my plantar fasciitis will flare up further.
Stop running and rest
I read a few articles that said you can run with plantar fasciitis, but the more I ran the more my foot would hurt post-run. It got to the point where I was hobbling all the time and I had to face facts and put my running shoes up for a while. I first took an entire 3 weeks off from exercise of any kind. Then added in yoga, followed by swimming, followed by stationary biking where I really watched my foot position on the pedal.
Once my pain was down to a 1 or 2 on the pain scale I started walking a mile. Once I realized it wasn’t hurting my foot further to walk a mile I slowly added in running. Currently, I can make it to about 3 miles with only a slight increase in pain at the 3rd mile, but the pain subsides once I get home and put it in the boot for 30 minutes or so.
2 Other Things I Tried That Helped Give Relief
Foot roller
My yoga instructor was kind enough to give me this foot roller. I use it fairly faithfully every morning while eating breakfast and lunch. It feels really good, but I don’t feel like it heals much of anything; it seems simply to provide temporary relief.
Toe Separators
Yep, toe separators–as in what you put between your toes before you give yourself a pedicure. When I was in the worst pain at the beginning of the healing process I would stick these between my toes and almost immediately my pain would go down 2 points on the pain scale. It sounds odd, but it really did work for me.
Once again, I am not a medical professional. I offer this list of what helped me simply as just that a list of items that helped me. Everyone is unique. What helped me may not help another.
For a list of fashionable yet supportive shoes for Plantar Fasciitis sufferers check out this post
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Thanks for the info. You have given me some things to try beside just using inserts.
Your welcome.
I’ve had this condition for several years now. I’ve had both feet operated on & still have pain at times, thanks for these tips. I wear Fitflops all the time, they’re really the only sandle I can wear.
You are welcome. Thanks for leaving the Fitflops suggestion.
I cannot recommend strongly enough getting custom orthotics from a podiatrist. They have completely taken away any issues for me at all, and I currently only need to have them in during crossfit. I could barely hobble around for a while, and nothing seemed to help. I pretty much forget this was ever even an issue for me now. I had a set of orthotics, and then I lost them during a move. Without them, I went right back to the pain. They may be covered by your insurance, but if not, they are still well worth the money.
Thanks for the tip.
I had plantar in both feet at the same time, ouch! Deep tissue massage therapy CURED it after 4 sessions. It was terribly painful but with the right therapist it worked wonders. Also don’t forget to freeze a water bottle it helps too. I hope this helps 🙂
Massage can definitely help people cure their plantar fasciitis in a couple sessions with the right stretches for the feet and Achilles’ tendon. This is very thick fascia on the bottom of your foot that is inflamed and tight. I’ve cured my own with a smooth round piece of wood I used for a foot roller to massage my own feet, every day until it’s gone. Also soak your feet in warm water, put muscle rubs on them like you would for a sore tendon or joint inflammation elsewhere in the body.
Great article, im definitely looking into a compression sock. Im also curious about the x brace, i found it after following one of your links to amazon. I have PF in both of my feet, and im currently in the middle of dealing with it. Ive had it for a few years now, but it got absolutely intolerable this january, so for 8 months now, its painful for me to walk from room to room in my house, dont even get me started on going down the stairs.
I recently found oofos, they have flip flops and clogs. I got the flip flops, and they have a pretty good arch support, im able to walk somewhat comfortably while wearing them. I also just got two pairs of vionic tennis shoes, which are helping even more. They have some super cute sandals, and the reviews are very good for them, ill probably get a pair next year.
My next step with the podiatrist is custom orthotics. Unfortunately my insurance doesnt cover them, so ive been working for about 3 months on getting them. My doctor charges $400. Small price to pay if i can finally be pain free, and enjoy exercising and hiking again, instead of trying to just grit my teeth and get through it.
Thanks for including all the shoe choices. I hope that you get relief soon.
Your post was EXTREMELY helpful, i have it bad and im desperate to be normal again.. im typically a very fast walker… have been my whole life.. but not lately! I hope this heals soon
I hope you can get it under control too. I love to run and walk and it was brutal, especially on nice weather days, to not be able to get outside and do either. So I understand how stopping regular activity to take care of it is so hard!
I am 43 yrs old. Have been experiencing this pain for more than a month now. I love playing badminton and walking but thanks to this pf in my left foot I have given up those things. I actually feel like crying . I will start yoga soon. I hope all of us find relief from this unfair condition soon. By the way since I am in India , do you think I should go for ayurvedic massages for pain relief?
God bless you all!
I’ve tried most of what you suggested and all have given me relief. But I wanted to share with everyone what worked the best for me. Acupuncture! I know some people are afraid of needles but I didn’t feel a thing. Laying face down, the acuputuerist put needles along my Achilles tenden and the sides of my feet. I was told to rest my feet the remainder of the day…no excercise. The next morning I couldn’t believe how much better my feet felt. REALLY! She told me I may need a few treatments and after 1 month I’m starting to feel the pain creeping back in. Going in for another treatment next week.
How many treatments of acupuncture did you have to do?
I have to share my plantars faciitis story. I started using custom fit orthotics about 30 years ago and they have gone through a lot of miles running. The orthotics worked great for the first 25-ish years. About 5 years ago I started wearing flip flops A LOT! My feet didn’t have any problems with the flip flops but I was so concerned it would turn ugly. By the way, I quit running about 10 years ago and switched to biking. So, back to my flip flop story…About a year and a half ago I started putting in a lot of miles walking (3-5 miles a day) and the pain returned, but I didn’t make the connection that it was my arch support shoes and orthotics. I was wearing my arch support running shoes and orthotics more and more because of the pain thinking that it would get better. Then I read an article that explained why I should wear flip flops or nothing as much as possible. The arch of the foot needs to stretch and it will do that naturally without arch supports. This made so much sense to me. If I keep wearing the supports, the arch will not stretch. I know this may not be for everyone but it sure worked for me. I haven’t had my arch support running shoes or my orthotics in my shoes for about 6 months now and my arches are better than when I used orthotics. I occasionally have pain but it is brief and usually because I have worn shoes with some support.
I got a toe infection from the sock, too!! You’re not the only one!!!
I wonder why it does that. I have one friend that swears by that sock. I really did prefer the boot. It was more cumbersome to sleep in for sure but once I got use to it was a lot cooler. I have really hot feet.
Try Mephisto brand cork sandals. I have had foot issues for 15 years and those sandals actually HELPED my feet! They are Pricey. I only buy the Hannel ones since they have two buckles. Because the leather stretches over time and so with the buckles I can tighten to make sure they are still fitting supportively. After I wear a pair out…then I use them for “house shoes”, and I never go without shoes in the house!
Thanks for the tip.
Try Oofos brand shoes for flip flops. Great arch support and feels like you are walking on a cloud! These shoes helped my PF tremendously!
I was told it is tight calf muscles that cause the tension on the fascia, so exercises to strengthen the front of the leg are ideal. Also anything that releases tension on the calf muscles, massage, and gentle stretches help. I also try to do soaks in baths with Epsom salt. I also like the boot. I found an over the counter orthotic which lifts my heel slightly helps a lot. I have mixed feelings about full orthotics. Mine gave me a lot of grief and didn’t clear its up. Time and always wearing shoes did but large amounts of walking in inflexible souls flared it up again.
Soles, sorry.
Thanks for the info. I myself suffer from extreme pain from flat footedness. And here in this part of the country flat footedness is not that common and easily treated cause not many people know about it. I will definitely try these things. ☺️
I’m wondering what brand running shoes do you use. I can’t seem to find the right brand to help.
I think the inserts matter more than the brand of running shoe. I went to an actual running store where they watched me run on the tread mill and then helped me pick out a pair that worked best for my natural foot pronation. So what brand I wear might not be the brand you need.
Another option is physical therapy with a certified manual physical therapist. Sometimes there are joints in the ankle/foot complex that don’t move correctly. These biomechanical restrictions can be an underlying reason why the plantar fascia is inflamed and why the inflammation persists. PT that targets the joint/soft tissue restrictions, inflammation control, and appropriate exercise can be very effective in managing plantar fasciitis.
Birkenstocks are great!
Vionic flip flops really help
Great suggestions. One additional thing to consider…if you have pain or inflammation in other places as well, you may have a broader issue. My plantar fasciitis, along with other pain in ankles, knees and hips, was solved when I was diagnosed and began treatment for hashimoto thyroiditis.
Where did you go for diagnosis.
I’ve had a bad case of PF in both feet. Right now I am pain free. I found wearing the Birkenstock brand shoe very helpful. In fact, that is pretty much all I wear. Just something you might try, if you’re looking for a sandal. They also offer enclosed shoes. Their footbed gives great support and goes a long way at keeping PF at bay for me. Of course, not everything is the same for everybody. I thought I would tell you of my experience with that shoe, that maybe it might help you too. Thank you for all your helpful information.
I had the same problem with my foot and the same shoes helped me 100%.I still wear them .
Hey, there is a shoe line , sold at shoe station, called Vionic. They have amazing sandals designed for plantar Faicitis 🙂 like $90-$120, but really amazing 🙂 good luck!
Thanks for the tip Denice I see the Vionic shoe line is also available on Amazon. There is quite the selection!
Yes I wear Vionic flip flop- they r very comfortable. Cost $75. I replace every year for 3 years now. My podiatrist approved this brand, Vionic
I am going to have to try Vionic. It seems like a lot of people are recommending them. My Plantar Faciitis has been cleared up for some time now but to keep it that way I am very picky about what type of shoes I wear.
Thanks for all the tips! I too love the Vionic shoes. Ordered these: Vionic Adilyn Women Round Toe Canvas Slipper from Amazon and they feel amazing!
Thanks for the info I am finding that using the boot at night is really helping plus I am taking vitamin C because I have developed a heel spur, i find it hard to find the sock nit much selection in this small town I live also my bad habit as well is not wearing shoes. I did have to special orthidics but they seemed to hurt my feet way to much thank you for the info
Shockwave and ultrasound treatments along with custom orthotics is what worked for me
Has anyone tried the laser therapy from podiatrist? Results?
I have recently found Chacos have the higher arch support I need built into the sole.
Most of my pain has subsided. I cannot where these to work (retail associate) but it’s helping tremendously and Sierra trading post has great pricing on Chacos.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to look them up.
Chaco sandals are the only sandal recommend by my DR. I have narrow feet and am a size 10. Lots of options in terms of color/pattern. Plus they last forever and can get wet. Check them out.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have been reading a few travel books lately and many of them mention Chaco sandals as being great for travel.
Have you tried Birkenstock sandals? They are the only sandal i can wear that does not kill my feet.
Yes, that is what I wear now — LOVE them.
I had it, too. Rolled my feet on frozen water bottles.
I have been treating a heel spur in my left foot for over 2 years! I did the custom orthotics from a podiatrist, saw a surgeon who said he wouldn’t touch the heel spur (apparently it’s huge!) had 8 treatments of shockwave therapy and done over a year and half of IMS needling 😩 almost weekly with results, but it has taken a very long time and I still get occasional pain. The treatment is expensive & can be very painful!
I now have PF in the right foot which started about 2 months ago, so back out came the night splint (for the left foot, but made it work!) and unfortunately just spent 5 days on crutches as I could barely walk. I did get an IMS treatment this week and have been booked for more shockwave therapy next week.
I have rested, iced, taken Aleve & Tylenol and can finally stand on it today! I shall be digging out my Birkenstocks to wear around the house now that I can walk! I wish they could be worn when I’m working. I am willing to try anything and hope that I am not dealing with this for another 2 years! I have been looking at the foot sleeve and think that might be another item to try! Hearing others tips and suggestions is so very helpful! 🙂
I hope you get relief soon.
Alegria brand shoes! They have sandals, close toed shoes and boots. The Paloma is my fave style….so comfortable. Podiatrist approved.
Thanks! I haven’t heard of Alegria shoes before I will have to check them out.
Like your ideas for healing. Fitflops brand are so comfy and many choices. I can walk all day in them. Thanks for sharing.
I agree I have a pair of Fitflops now and really like them.
Abeo brand by The Walking Company has changed my life. Flip flops, dress shoes, inserts, and a metatarsal pad!
Thanks for the suggestions I will have to check them out.
In many cases PF is due to a dysfunction of the body somewhere above the affected area. In the case of PF the area is most likely the sacroiliac/lumbar region. If imbalaces exist here then you will have a breakdown somewhere down the line…the feet. “Rolling” the IT band or feet without correcting the actual cause is like changing a tire on a car with an alignment issue every time the tire wears unevenly. The alignment is the issue not the tire. And so it goes, until u correct the alignment of the body you will continue to have problems and be forced to cut out more and more activities until there is nothing left to cut out. Stop the madness and get fixed. Good luck.
Healing Sole flip flops have made a huge difference in my feet. Vionic shoes have helped too. I hate the night braces. I have tried several types. The compression socks help if I find one that is wide enough for my foot. Massaging my calves on the back helps too.
Thanks for leaving these tips.
Thank you so much for the awesome tips! I began this year with the pain on my foot and it’s unbearable at times, I am hoping to ease my pain with your recommendation.
Yes, the pain is horrible! I do hope something on this list gives you some relief. That is 100% why I wrote it. I was so desperate I was willing to be a tester of all things to help others with it.