How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis Pain
Foot HealthPlantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
By
Updated on February 6, 2026
by
Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain. Conservative, nonsurgical therapies are successful in treating as many as 90 percent of all cases.

Once treatment begins, plantar fasciitis usually takes several months to improve. It can take between 6 and 18 months for the condition to subside.

If your plantar fasciitis pain doesn’t improve after a few months of treatment, other options include surgery and sound wave therapy.

Plantar Fasciitis Medication

The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is heel pain, particularly after your first steps in the morning or after you rest for a long time. The pain usually subsides over time, but it can increase after activity.

 Numerous medications may help with symptoms.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers

Treatment usually begins with medication to manage the pain and underlying inflammation associated with your plantar fasciitis. Common over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), can help reduce plantar fasciitis pain and swelling.

These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can have side effects, particularly if you take them for more than 10 days. Stomach pain and heartburn are the most common, though they may also cause stomach ulcers. If you have concerns about taking NSAIDs and how they may interact with other medications you’re taking, talk to your doctor.

Cortisone Injections for Plantar Fasciitis

For severe pain and inflammation that do not respond to NSAIDs, your doctor may prescribe cortisone injections. Cortisone drugs, or corticosteroids, treat a range of conditions, including arthritis, bursitis, and gout, as well as allergic reactions.

These medications can treat inflammation throughout the body or in specific areas, as is the case with plantar fasciitis. Cortisone can be injected into the plantar fascia, the band of tissue along the bottom of your foot that becomes inflamed in plantar fasciitis.

Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug, and it can have side effects. These include cartilage deterioration and worsening of arthritis.

 Ask your healthcare team if and when a cortisone injection might be right for your condition.

At-Home Therapies and Techniques

You may be able to treat plantar fasciitis at home. Most treatments involve a combination of resting the foot, avoiding activities that can aggravate the condition, pain management, and muscle-strengthening activities.

Resting Your Foot

Doctors typically recommend starting with resting the foot in which you have pain. This could mean avoiding the activity that caused plantar fasciitis as well as sports and other things that put pressure on your foot for at least a week.

Icing Your Foot

Ice can help with inflammation. You can apply a cloth-covered ice pack to the bottom of your foot for 15 minutes at a time, three to four times a day. You can also roll a frozen water bottle under your foot.

 Be sure to protect your foot from extreme cold, however, and talk to your doctor if you have other foot conditions for which ice may not be appropriate.

Stretching and Strengthening Exercises

Exercise can help relieve plantar fasciitis pain while also loosening tight muscles, increasing flexibility, and building muscle strength in the foot. Your doctor or physical therapist may recommend stretching and strengthening exercises to stretch your plantar fascia and Achilles tendon and to strengthen your leg muscles, especially when you wake in the morning or after you sit for a long time.

These exercises may include:

  • Curling your toes with a small towel underneath
  • Extending your toes to stretch the arch of your foot
  • Using a towel as a band around the arch of your foot to stretch it
  • Stretching your calf muscles while standing or taking a step
  • Rolling a frozen water bottle under the arch of your foot

Using Orthotics and Shoe Inserts

Arch-support devices called orthotics can help distribute pressure in your feet and manage pain. You typically place them inside your shoe or on your foot. They include foot pads or heel cups that cushion a sensitive area on the foot, like a callus, and shoe inserts that provide support and correct ankle or heel movement.

Over-the-counter inserts and custom, prescription orthotics are available. Talk to your doctor about which might be best for your situation and how long you should wear them.

Remember to use inserts on both feet, even if your pain is only in one foot, to avoid gait imbalance or hip pain down the road.

Taping Your Arch and Using Night Splints

Arch taping involves applying athletic tape to your foot to reduce stress on the ligament by reducing strain on your fascia. Some people tape their arch only before physical activity. Others apply the tape to reduce strain throughout the day. Arch taping may be recommended alongside exercise and education about plantar fasciitis.

Night splints gently stretch your calf and the arch of your foot while you sleep. They support your foot with your toes pointing up.

Surgery for Plantar Fasciitis

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends surgery for plantar fasciitis only if 12 months of aggressive nonsurgical treatment has not improved the condition.

Surgery is rare, but options include:

  • Gastrocnemius Recession This procedure involves lengthening calf muscles.
  • Plantar Fascia Release Also known as a plantar fasciotomy, this surgery involves cutting part of the plantar fascia to relieve tension in the tissue.
Surgical complications include nerve damage, rupturing the plantar fascia, and flattening of your foot’s arch.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

If conservative treatments do not resolve pain from chronic plantar fasciitis, your doctor may recommend extracorporeal shock wave therapy. This noninvasive procedure involves the use of high-energy sound waves directed at the area of pain to stimulate healing in damaged tissue.

Research is limited as to its efficacy, with some studies showing positive results.


The Takeaway

  • Plantar fasciitis can be a painful foot condition, but it often can be resolved within a few months with conservative treatment.
  • Over-the-counter medications may help you manage pain. Cortisone injections are a potential prescription option. Both may have side effects.
  • Your doctor may recommend treating your plantar fasciitis at home with a combination of rest, ice, and stretching. Using foot inserts or arch tape is also a possibility.
  • Surgery for plantar fasciitis is not common. It’s usually only recommended if symptoms do not improve after 12 months of treatment.

Resources We Trust

Additional reporting by Tony Stasiek and George Vernadakis.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Wojtach K et al. Treatment Options for Plantar Fasciitis: Surgical Release vs. Conservative Therapy. Quality in Sport. October 2024.
  2. Plantar Fasciitis. UCF Health.
  3. Plantar Fasciitis. Mayo Clinic. September 7, 2023.
  4. Plantar Fasciitis. Mayo Clinic. September 7, 2023.
  5. NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). Cleveland Clinic. April 24, 2023.
  6. Amanatullah D. Cortisone Shot (Steroid Injection). OrthoInfo.
  7. Plantar Fasciitis. Cleveland Clinic. November 4, 2022.
  8. Plantar Fasciitis Exercises. WashU Medicine.
  9. Do I Have to Wear Inserts in Both Shoes. Freeland Foot and Ankle Clinic.
  10. Morrissey D et al. Management of Plantar Heel Pain: A Best Practice Guide Informed by a Systematic Review, Expert Clinical Reasoning and Patient Values. British Journal of Sports Medicine. September 16, 2021.
  11. Plantar Fasciitis and Bone Spurs. OrthoInfo.
  12. Buchanan BK et al. Plantar Fasciitis. StatPearls. January 7, 2024.
  13. Lippi L et al. Efficacy and Tolerability of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients With Plantar Fasciopathy: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. September 11, 2024.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Alissa Kuizinas

Alissa Kuizinas, DPM

Medical Reviewer

Dr. Kuizinas is a functional podiatrist specializing in sports medicine, chronic injuries, and foot and ankle dysfunction. She practices podiatry at Wellness in Motion Boston, located in Concord and Brookline, Massachusetts. She also sees clients virtually in her private practice.

In addition to functional interventions for pain and injury, Kuizinas works with the mind-body connection to treat patients holistically and encourage whole-body wellness rather than just symptom relief.

Kuizinas received a bachelor of arts from Boson University and went on to attend Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, where she received her doctor of podiatric medicine. She completed a three-year surgical residency in forefoot and rearfoot reconstructive surgery at Hoboken University Medical Center in New Jersey.

Kuizinas has previously worked in trauma and reconstructive surgery, as well as wound care and limb salvage, and has done advanced training in hyperbaric medicine.

See full bio
julie-marks-bio

Julie Lynn Marks

Author

Julie Marks is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience covering health, lifestyle, and science topics. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, her work has been featured in WebMD, SELF, Healthline, A&E, Psych Central, Verywell Health, and more. Her goal is to compose helpful articles that readers can easily understand and use to improve their well-being. She is passionate about healthy living and delivering important medical information through her writing.

Prior to her freelance career, Marks was a supervising producer of medical programming for Ivanhoe Broadcast News. She is a Telly award winner and Freddie award finalist. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, traveling, and cheering on the UCF Knights.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network