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Podiatrify
Condition Library

Rearfoot

Plantar Fasciitis

Heel pain that is often worst with the first steps in the morning.

Symptoms

  • First-step heel pain
  • Pain after rest
  • Medial heel tenderness

Risk factors

  • Tight calf
  • Increased activity
  • Higher body weight
  • Prolonged standing

What usually helps

  • Plantar fascia and calf stretching
  • High-load strength training
  • Supportive footwear and orthoses
  • Night splints
  • Injection in selected cases

When to see a podiatrist

When heel pain lasts more than a few weeks or limits walking.

Warning signs

  • • Heel pain after a fall (fracture)
  • • Night pain or numbness (nerve entrapment)
Randomized controlled trialModerate EvidenceSports medicine

High-Load Strength Training Improves Outcome in Patients with Plantar Fasciitis

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · 2015

Population
Adults with plantar fasciitis
Key result
High-load strength training with inserts showed faster early improvement than stretching with inserts.
Clinical relevance
Supports adding progressive loading to plantar heel pain care.
Limitations
Small sample. Differences narrowed at later follow-up.
Randomized controlled trialModerate EvidenceOrthotics

Effectiveness of Foot Orthoses to Treat Plantar Fasciitis

Archives of Internal Medicine · 2006

Population
Adults with plantar fasciitis
Key result
Prefabricated and customized orthoses produced small short-term benefits, with no clear long-term advantage.
Clinical relevance
Orthoses can help in the short term. Prefabricated devices may be a reasonable first step.
Limitations
Specific devices studied. Results may not generalize to all orthoses.

Podiatrify provides educational information and risk guidance and does not provide a medical diagnosis. Symptoms involving severe pain, rapidly spreading infection, black or blue tissue, major trauma, loss of circulation, or systemic illness may require urgent medical evaluation.