Do you feel severe pain in your heel, especially when you take your first few steps out of bed in the morning? You may be suffering from plantar fasciitis, one of the most common injuries among runners.
Most commonly, heel pain is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia — the tough band of tissue that supports the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. The stabbing or burning pain of plantar fasciitis is usually worse in the morning because the fascia tightens overnight.
As you warm up during your run, the pain normally decreases and is more tolerable, but it may return after an hour or so of running.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is common in long-distance runners because running can place too much stress on your heel bone and the soft tissue attached to it. Wearing old, worn-out running shoes or ones that lack arch support may be a factor.
Other causes of plantar fasciitis are overpronation (when your feet roll inward too much) or too-tight calf muscles. Having flat feet or high arches may also cause added stress. High-heeled shoes can also be lead to plantar fasciitis because they make your Achilles tendon contract and shorten, which puts strain on the tissue around your heel.
Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis
You’ll want to decrease your miles until the pain subsides, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising completely. Swap swimming or bicycling for running. You’ll likely be able to return to running as the pain gradually improves or disappears.
For self-care treatment, you can hold a cloth-covered ice pack over the area of pain for 15 to 20 minutes three or four times a day or after activity. You can also freeze a water bottle and roll your foot over it. Regular ice massage can help reduce the pain and inflammation.
Stretching your calf muscles may also provide relief. One of the best yoga positions for those dealing with plantar fasciitis is the downward-facing dog pose. Get instructions for how to do this simple yoga move.
Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may ease pain and inflammation, although they won’t treat the underlying problem. Talk to your doctor about whether you should take an anti-inflammatory for the pain.
You can also try acupressure techniques: Apply pressure to your heel by rolling a golf ball, foot roller, or spiky massage ball with the arch of your foot while you are standing and stabilized. This can help reduce pain and increase blood flow. Try rolling the ball or roller under your arch for a half hour a day. It may hurt the first week, but you should see some improvement by the second week.
Some runners also get relief by wearing compression sleeves or socks that help stimulate blood flow to increase recovery.
If self-treatment doesn’t work, you may need to see a doctor for orthotics or night splints. Physical therapy may help stretch your plantar fascia and strengthen lower leg muscles, which stabilize your ankle and heel. A physical therapist can also show you how to apply athletic tape to support the bottom of your foot. More extreme cases may require steroid injections or surgery.
Prevention of Plantar Fasciitis
If you’re prone to plantar fasciitis and have dealt with bouts of it in the past, here are some steps you can take to (hopefully) avoid it in the future:
- Wear supportive shoes. Don’t go barefoot, especially on hard surfaces. As much as possible, make sure you’re wearing shoes with a low to moderate heel (no high heels!), excellent arch support, and good shock absorption.
- Get the right running shoes for you. Consult an expert at a running specialty store so you can get shoes with the support and cushioning that you need.
- Stretch. Make sure you stretch your arches and calves, especially after running.
- Replace worn-out running shoes. Don’t run in shoes that have lost their support and cushioning. You should replace running shoes after about 300 to 400 miles.
How long does plantar fasciitis pain last?
Plantar fasciitis pain typically lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months. In some cases, it can take even longer to fully recover from it and run without pain. The recovery time depends on how severe the pain is and what steps you take to treat it.
You can speed up the plantar fasciitis recovery time if you take a break from running and avoid putting strain on your heel as soon as you notice symptoms. Taking the self-treatment steps outlined above, including icing, rolling, and stretching, can also provide relief and get you back to running pain-free sooner.
What shoes should you wear for plantar fasciitis?
If you have plantar fasciitis or are prone to it, you should wear supportive, well-cushioned shoes. Shoes from the company Orthofoot are podiatrist-recommended for those with plantar fasciitis because they have good arch support and cushioning in the heel area. For running, Brooks Glycerin Running Shoes and Asics GEL-Kayano Running Shoes are popular choices among runners who are trying to avoid plantar fasciitis.
Those with plantar fasciitis should be very careful when selecting sandals or flip-flips, since many don’t have proper support or cushioning. OOFOS sandals are a comfortable, supportive option to help prevent plantar fasciitis pain.
What happens if you ignore plantar fasciitis?
Ignoring plantar fasciitis can make the condition much worse and more painful, keeping you sidelined from walking, running, and other activities way longer than if you addressed the problem when you first noticed the pain. Be sure to address the problem and take the proper steps to remedy it before it becomes a full-blown injury that may need more serious intervention such as surgery.
Also see: 7 Simple Ways Runners Can Prevent Injuries
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Running coach, avid runner, and fitness writer Christine Luff is an RRCA-certified running coach and ACE-certified personal trainer. Founder of the website Run for Good and author of the book Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, she coaches runners, from beginners to advanced, who are training for races, from 5Ks to marathons.
