Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel and foot pain.

Unfortunately, it is also one of those conditions that people can struggle with for months—or even years—because they keep doing things that temporarily reduce the pain without actually improving how the foot functions.

One of the biggest misconceptions about plantar fasciitis is that it is simply an inflammatory condition.

In many chronic cases, the bigger issue is degeneration and overloading of the plantar fascia rather than inflammation alone.

That matters because if you only treat inflammation, you may feel better temporarily without addressing why the plantar fascia became irritated in the first place.

So, if you are dealing with plantar fasciitis, here is what not to do so that you can know if your treatment is heading in the right direction.

THE DON’Ts OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS

1. DON’T Rely on Orthotics

Orthotics can sometimes be useful. But your goal should be to eliminate your orthotics within 1-2 weeks.

Orthotics stop your feet from doing the work and can weak foot muscles. When the muscles of the foot are constantly supported, they no longer have to work the way they were designed to. This applies additional load to the plantar fascia. The more you use them the worse it gets.

Extra orthotic support can be helpful during the acute phase of care when pain is more severe. But beyond that early phase, continuing to support the foot instead of strengthening it can contribute to further weakness.

Your long-term goal should still be improving the ability of your own foot to:

• Stabilize
• Absorb force
• Move
• Adapt to the ground

Think of an orthotic as a tool. Not the solution.

Support may help temporarily, but chronic plantar fasciitis will continue to nag you if the foot itself doesn’t become stronger.

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2. DON’T Treat It Like It’s Inflammation

Plantar fasciitis is NOT an inflammatory condition. Its a neurological one. In fact neurological treatment can almost instantly relieve plantar fasciitis pain in a large percentage of patients.

The latest research studies have classified it more as a degenerative condition involving the collagen in the fascia. Since inflammation plays almost no role in the pain, we have even renamed the condition in general from “fasciitis” to “fasciosis”. From inflammation to degeration.

This is why so many plantar fasciitis patients sufferer for so long. Anti-inflammatory measures are only temporary band-aids and not addressing the underlying cause. The load being placed on the fascia is key.

It is actually much like high blood sugar. Your body can handle high blood sugar sometimes, but when high blood sugar remains all the time it creates disease. The plantar fascia is a pump mechanism, it actually needs stretch and strain to stay healthy. But when it gets into a constant state of tension it is unable to receive proper nutrition from movement. Movement ends up being the best treatment, while also the most painful.

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3. DON’T Push Through The Plantar Fasciitis Pain

Pain receptors exist for a reason — and there’s a real difference between pushing through a hard workout and ignoring your body’s warning signs. Knowing which one you’re actually doing matters.

That’s the line avid runners, fitness junkies, adult rec league and weekend warriors need to watch for. Grinding through an intense routine and coming out on top feels great, and there’s nothing quite like it. But “no pain, no gain” doesn’t hold up when foot pain is what you’re pushing through.

If you are going at it on your own, a thorough blood flow warm up protocol can really help here.

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4. DON’T Wear a Night Splint … EVER

The tightness and morning heel pain experienced in plantar fasciitis is miserable. But the pain is both a signal of healing and the warning to your body that the problem is still there.

The plantar fascia tightening at night is just what it needs. In fact your fascia is too loose already and need to be strengthened and tightend to get the pain to go away for good. The coordination of muscle contraction and plantar foot force absorption is key to healing.

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5. DON’T Get Discouraged

Plantar fasciitis can be frustrating.

Especially when you’ve tried multiple treatments and nothing seems to last.

But chronic foot pain doesn’t necessarily mean you’re stuck with it forever.

You usually need to stop chasing temporary pain relief and start improving the actual function of the foot.

That means working on:

• Foot strength
• Ankle mobility
• Appropriate footwear
• Soft-tissue restrictions
• Gradual loading
• Activity tolerance

Consistency matters much more than finding one magical exercise.

When to Get Treatemnt In Office In Mesa?

We are not your run of the mill office for plantar fasciities treatment. When you are ready to treat your heel pain and learn the secrets to lasting relief, we are here for you.

We offer 10-20 visit packages to help you heal both the fastest and most permanent. No more searching for boots, orthotics, nights splints, etc. We take all the guess work out for you. Consider your individual case and come up with a care plan that works for you, not just for us.

Give us a call today!