Plantar fasciitis causes excruciating pain at the bottom of the heel of the foot. It is a degenerative condition of the plantar fascia often made worse by the inflammation caused by overuse, stress, and strain. Once you get plantar fasciitis, there is no easy escape from this agonizing condition. It can take more than six months to resolve completely, that too with proper treatment. However, the symptoms of plantar fasciitis are a whole different thing. With effective remedies, you can reduce your pain while walking. So here are some of the tried and tested remedies for you to try.

Rest And Apply Ice

If stress and overuse of feet are the primary cause of your plantar fasciitis, take a rest. Give your feet some breathing time to get back to normal. Plus, ice your feet well as it reduces inflammation. Apply ice for about ten minutes a session, three times a day. The best way to apply ice is by rolling your feet over an iced water bottle. You can also wear ice pack slippers.

Tape Your Arches

The function of the arches of your foot is to support your body weight. And the plantar fascia, in turn, stabilizes these arches. So by taping your arches, you take some burden off your plantar fascia in supporting the arches. You can use elastic therapeutic tape like kinesiology tape. While for severe cases, you can also use non-elastic tape such as zinc oxide tape.

Wear Proper Shoes With Inserts

Proper shoes with inserts can bring quick relief for plantar fasciitis pain. These can help you get the ankle/foot alignment you desperately need. They distribute pressure over the foot evenly. Try over-the-counter or custom-made insoles with shoes that provide natural arch support, such as sneakers.

Wear Night Splints Or Compression Socks

For severe cases, doctors recommend night splints. They provide the necessary stretch for the plantar fascia and the muscles of the foot and release tension. Thus, alleviating the pain. You can also wear compression socks for mild cases. Unlike night splints, you can wear compression socks all the time.

Perform Stretching Exercises

Your plantar fascia needs the muscles of your foot to support it during standing and other stressful conditions. To get rid of plantar fasciitis, you need to strengthen your foot and calf muscles. However, during plantar fasciitis, these muscles also get stiff and aggravate the condition. For quick relief, you need to stretch your calf and foot muscles to relax them. There are many exercises you can perform to reduce your pain. You don’t need to adopt all of them. But for a proper treatment plan, you need to pick a few and stick to them. For example, some stretching are:

• Pulling your feet with a towel
• Toe-curling with towel scrunches
• Tennis ball rolling
• Toe extension
• Calf-stretching with a step
• Marble picking

Unfortunately, plantar fasciitis does not go away quickly. But these remedies can alleviate your pain and help you get back to normal.