What to Avoid When You Have Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis causes severe heel pain that makes it hard to stay on your feet. Seeing a podiatrist, stretching your feet, and wearing supportive shoes with PowerStep® orthotic insoles for arch support can help you avoid plantar fasciitis and relieve everyday foot pain.

Continue reading to discover how to avoid plantar fasciitis plus factors that can make heel pain worse and tips on finding relief.

What should I not do if I have plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis happens when the plantar fascia, a band of tissue on the bottom of your foot connecting your heel, arch, and toes, starts to develop microtears from excess stress or pressure. These small tears become inflamed, resulting in stabbing arch or heel pain.

When you have an overuse injury like plantar fasciitis, also called policeman’s heel, you must avoid activities that continue to strain your feet. Running, jumping, or standing for long periods of time can worsen the inflammation and create more discomfort.

5 Things to Avoid with Plantar Fasciitis

Depending on severity, plantar fasciitis can take between three weeks and three months to fully heal if you follow proper treatment and prevention methods. Whether this is your first time having constant foot pain or you struggle with regular plantar fasciitis flare-ups, avoiding the following behaviors and activities can help prevent and relieve your pain.

1. Not Seeing a Podiatrist

Treating mild to moderative plantar fasciitis involves conservative measures like wearing orthotic insoles for heel pain. Putting off care can increase pain and inflammation, causing scar tissue that leads to long term problems. Severe cases may even require surgery.

Seeing a podiatrist will also help determine other causes of foot pain like heel spurs, which often coexist with plantar fasciitis. Your podiatrist can give you a treatment plan including a referral for medical grade orthotic insoles.

2. Wearing Unsupportive Shoes

Wearing shoes with arch support and cushioning helps reduce tension on the plantar fascia so it can heal. Going barefoot or wearing flat shoes like flip flops make foot pain worse. Consider swapping your flip flops for sandals with arch support instead.

Wearing supportive shoes during activities like walking or running may determine how soon your plantar fasciitis gets better. Running shoes especially need arch support and quality cushioning from a running insole to absorb the impact of your feet hitting the ground.

3. Thinking All Insoles are the Same

Podiatrists often recommend wearing insoles or orthotics when treating plantar fasciitis. Custom orthotics can be expensive and not all over-the-counter shoe inserts are alike, nor do they offer the right support.

Designed by a podiatrist, PowerStep orthotic insoles are clinically proven to relieve and prevent plantar fasciitis pain. According to our clinical research, 90% of PowerStep users had less foot, knee, or back pain within two weeks thanks to our signature arch shape, deep heel cradle, and dual layer cushioning.

PowerStep makes it easy to get the exact support and relief you need. Our Pinnacle® orthotic insoles are the best insoles for plantar fasciitis, and they include insoles for flat feet and high arch insoles. Buy PowerStep insoles online or in-store using our dealer locator.

4. Doing High-Impact Exercises

With plantar fasciitis, exercises to avoid include activities that involve running or jumping. These put excess strain on the plantar fascia and heels that can cause further tearing and inflammation.

Instead, opt for low-impact exercises like swimming, Pilates, or cycling. Before exercise of any kind, always stretch your feet and lower body including your calves to help keep your muscles flexible and ready for movement.

5. Skipping Your Stretches

Plantar fasciitis exercises are essential to getting rid of long-term heel pain. At home movements that stretch your feet, calves, and ankles help strengthen the plantar fascia and restore flexibility. Skipping your daily stretches can make plantar fasciitis come back.

Stretches for plantar fasciitis include toe curls, ankle circles, and calf stretches. The PowerStep UltraFlexx® Foot Rocker is a foot and leg stretching device that makes it easier to perform your daily plantar fasciitis exercises from anywhere.

What will make plantar fasciitis worse?

Signs your plantar fasciitis is getting worse include increasing and longer lasting discomfort as well as other feelings of pain in your back, hips, knees, or ankles. Vigorous exercise, wearing the wrong shoes, and failing to stretch your feet can all worsen plantar fasciitis and prolong your recovery.

Other Tips on Avoiding Plantar Fasciitis Pain

Keep your plantar fasciitis from becoming serious and prevent future flare-ups when you follow these tips:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight puts excess pressure on the bones, muscles, and joints in your feet, making you more prone to foot pain like plantar fasciitis. Losing weight may help reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
• Wear shoes indoors. Wearing a house slipper with arch support can alleviate pain felt during those first morning steps after getting out of bed.
• Use a plantar fasciitis night splint. To avoid plantar fasciitis, sleep with a PowerStep UltraStretch® Night Sock, a comfortable night splint alternative that stretches the plantar fascia overnight to relieve morning foot pain.
• Try natural relief methods. Icing your feet daily with a hot/cold therapy wrap and using natural topical pain relievers helps reduce inflammation without the use of pain medications.
• Return to exercise slowly. A gradual return to exercises like running and sports will protect the plantar fascia from reinjury. Work your way up to your regular exercise routine with some low impact activities and beginner workouts.

Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain with PowerStep

Taking steps to avoid plantar fasciitis will increase your chances of making a full recovery. PowerStep orthotic insoles help relieve and prevent heel pain so you can get back on your feet and steer clear of recurring foot problems.

References:

Easing the pain of plantar fasciitis. (2020, July 11) Harvard Health Publishing.

Exercise Dos and Don’ts When You Have Plantar Fasciitis (n.d.). Monroe Foot & Ankle Care.

Plantar Fasciitis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. (2022, November 4). Cleveland Clinic.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Plantar Fasciitis. (n.d.) Balance Health.

What Not to Do With Plantar Fasciitis. (2023, February 16). BenchMark Physical Therapy.