Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the heel and, in severe cases, the arch and ankle of the foot. It commonly affects runners and those who spend a lot of time on their feet. Certain professions, such as construction, teaching, working at a restaurant or a grocery store, make you very susceptible to plantar fasciitis. If plantar fasciitis is getting into the way of your daily life, here are some home remedies for you to try!

Rest And Apply ice

Sometimes what your feet need is a few days of rest. It’s the overuse and stress on your feet that cause inflammation of the plantar fascia in the first place. Plus, apply heat to the bottom of your heel. The best way to apply ice is by rolling your feet on an ice water bottle. You can also wear ice slippers for this purpose.

Take NSAIDs

Plantar fasciitis causes excruciating heel pain. To relieve this pain and reduce inflammation, take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen.

Wear Supportive Shoes

Make sure you wear shoes that support the arch and avoid the ones that have a flat sole. Do not walk barefoot on hard, flat surfaces. Supportive shoes such as sneakers have built-in arch support. These shoes take pressure off the plantar fascia in stabilizing the arch. Thus, they prevent irritation of the plantar fascia and relieve pain.

Wear Night Splints

If you have severe plantar fasciitis, you would probably need night splints. Night splints hold the toes in an extended position (pointed up). Thus, they are good at stretching foot muscles and plantar fascia and releasing muscle tension.

Wear Shoe Inserts

Shoe inserts distribute the pressure on the foot evenly. They provide extra cushion for the foot as well as support the arch. These insoles are much easier to wear compared to night splints. Plus, you can wear them consistently throughout the day, whether you are standing or walking. 

Wear Compression Socks

You can also wear compression socks at night or in combination with shoe insoles. They are good at offsetting the pressure from the plantar fascia by providing support to the arch. You can buy these socks and insoles online or have them ready-made at a pharmacy.

Tape Your Arch

Arch taping has some great benefits for plantar fasciitis. It supports the arch and prevents irritation of the plantar fascia. You can start by using kinesiology tape (elastic). However, if your plantar fasciitis is severe, you can use zinc oxide tape (non-elastic).

Do Some Stretches

Stretching is a crucial part of your treatment plan as only stretching can bring speedy recovery. Stretches not only offer rapid pain relief but a steady symptom improvement in the long run. There are many ways to stretch your foot and calf muscles, such as:

• Calf stretching in front of a wall
• Toe extension
• Toe-curling with towel scrunches
• Calf stretching on a step
• Pulling your feet with a towel

Adopt some of these stretching exercises and stick to them until your pain goes away.