Signs Your Plantar Fasciitis is Healing - Treatments, Recovery Time, Prevention

Understanding Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia acts as a shock absorber for your foot. Too much repetitive stress and strain can cause small tears and irritation. Some of the most common contributing factors include:

• Excess weight/obesity putting extra pressure on the feet
• Tight calf muscles and lack of flexibility
• High arches or flat feet disrupting proper foot mechanics
• Intense physical activity like running without proper training
• Standing or walking for long periods on hard surfaces
• Wearing shoes without proper arch support

Common Symptoms

The typical symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

• Sharp, stabbing pain in the heel upon standing after periods of rest
• Pain that is usually worse first thing in the morning
• Achiness and stiffness in the bottom of the heel that may radiate into the arch
• Gradual onset of discomfort that continues to worsen over time
• Limping or altered gait from heel pain

Signs Your Plantar Fasciitis is Healing

Recovering from plantar fasciitis takes time, but you can look for these positive signs that indicate your treatment is working and your feet are healing:

Reduced Morning Stiffness and Pain

One of the hallmarks of plantar fasciitis is severe heel pain first thing in the morning when getting out of bed. As the plantar fascia starts to recover, this morning discomfort should steadily improve and become more bearable.

Less Pain with Initial Steps

The first few steps after long periods of sitting or resting should become less excruciating as plantar fasciitis heals. The stabbing "first step pain" should turn into a mild ache or disappear altogether.

Increased Flexibility and Range of Motion

Tight calf muscles contribute to plantar fasciitis. As you do regular stretching and strengthening exercises, your ankle and foot should gradually get more flexible and mobile.

Being Able to Stand for Longer

Standing for long periods is often difficult with plantar fasciitis. You'll know you're making progress when you can spend longer on your feet running errands or at work with less discomfort.

Walk Without Limping

Plantar fasciitis can cause a limp or altered gait from trying to avoid putting pressure on the painful heel. Your walking pattern should return to normal as pain subsides.

No Pain at Rest

Inflammation should ease to the point where your heel feels normal when you aren't standing or moving it. Lingering discomfort at rest delays recovery.

Activities Become Easier

Running, climbing stairs, or carrying heavy loads may be impossible when plantar fasciitis flares up. As your feet start healing, you'll be able to return to all your regular daily activities without heel pain or difficulty.

Treatments to Aid Healing

Certain treatments and self-care strategies can accelerate plantar fasciitis healing. Some of the most effective include:

Rest and Ice

Limiting activity avoids further strain on your feet. Apply ice packs to reduce swelling and pain. Give your feet a chance to start repairing themselves before slowly resuming normal activities.

Stretching

Gently stretching your calves, ankles, and feet, especially before getting out of bed, keeps muscles loose and prevents re-injury. Use a towel or strap to pull your toes upward.

Massage

Massaging your heel and arch with your thumbs or using a tennis ball releases tension in the plantar fascia. It stimulates blood flow to aid healing.

Night Splints

Wearing splints while you sleep keeps your foot flexed slightly, preventing the plantar fascia from tightening up overnight. This reduces morning pain.

Arch Supports

Orthotics and padded shoe inserts support the arch and take tension off the plantar fascia to allow it to recover. They also cushion your feet.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen decrease swelling and discomfort in the short-term. They provide relief as other treatments start working.

Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy uses sound waves to trigger healing responses in the body and reduce chronic inflammation. It stimulates regeneration of the damaged plantar fascia.

Casting and Immobilization

For severe or chronic cases, wearing a boot cast or splint for a period of time gets your foot completely at rest. This allows the plantar fascia to heal without the constant strain of walking.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Making certain lifestyle changes during recovery can also optimize healing:

Lose Excess Weight

Extra pounds put more repetitive stress on the plantar fascia. Shedding even a small amount of weight through healthy diet helps reduce heel pain.

Wear Supportive Shoes

Ditch flat sneakers and shoes without arch support and cushioning. Wear well-fitted shoes with shock-absorbing soles both for recovery and prevention.

Change Footwear Frequently

Alternate between different pairs of shoes rather than wearing the same pair constantly. This prevents excessive strain on one spot.

Get a New Job or Stand Less

For those who stand or walk all day for work, getting a new job with more sitting or flexibility may be necessary to allow proper recovery if other options fail.

Avoid Hard Floors

Choose to stand and walk on softer, cushioned surfaces whenever possible, like grass. Hardwood and concrete floors exacerbate plantar fasciitis pain.

Do Low-Impact Exercise

Swap high-impact activities like running for swimming, cycling, or water aerobics while your feet recover. Cross-train to maintain fitness without further damaging your plantar fascia.

When to See a Doctor

In most cases, the symptoms of plantar fasciitis gradually improve with conservative at-home care after a few months. But you should see a podiatrist promptly if you experience:

• No noticeable improvement in pain after 6-8 weeks of self-treatment
• Sudden sharp heel pain unlike your usual symptoms
• Inability to walk or put weight on your foot
• Change in foot shape or structure
• Persistent swelling, redness, numbness, or tingling
• Both heels becoming painful

These could be signs of a more serious problem or complication requiring further medical evaluation and imaging tests.

When to Expect Full Recovery

Most cases of plantar fasciitis resolve within 6 to 18 months. But the timeline varies widely depending on treatment, your overall health, and how diligent you are about avoiding re-injury. Set realistic expectations:

Acute Cases:

With prompt treatment, acute plantar fasciitis developing suddenly from an injury may take around 6 weeks to 3 months to go away.

Chronic Cases:

Long-term plantar fasciitis that has persisted for many months or years will likely take over 6 months to fully resolve. But you'll see incremental improvements.

Recurrence:

Unfortunately, plantar fasciitis has a high likelihood of coming back. Continuing preventive foot care is key even after recovery.

Don't rush back to high impact activity too quickly after your initial symptoms improve or it could delay healing and trigger repeat bouts of plantar fasciitis.

Prevention

Once your feet have healed, adopting these strategies helps prevent plantar fasciitis from recurring down the road:

• Wear supportive, well-cushioned shoes.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Stretch calves, ankles, and feet daily.
• Massage feet and limit time spent standing.
• Use orthotics or arch supports if necessary.
• Change direction gradually when running instead of abrupt pivots and cuts.
• Progress athletic training slowly and listen to your body.

With some diligence about foot care and awareness of early warning signs, you can avoid triggering another bout of plantar fasciitis pain.

When to Stop Treatment

You can consult your doctor and look to wind down treatment when:

• You have no heel pain first thing in the morning or after long periods of rest
• You are able to resume all your regular daily activities pain-free
• Your flexibility and range of motion is restored
• You can stand or walk for long periods without discomfort
• Your gait returns to normal without limping

Taper off use of NSAIDs, splints, and icing. Try going without orthotics and slowly increase high impact activities like running. But continue foot stretches and be vigilant about wearing proper footwear. Recurrence of heel pain means resuming treatment.

Living with Plantar Fasciitis

It can be mentally challenging coping with the slow healing time and frustration of plantar fasciitis. But try to stay positive - almost all cases do eventually resolve. Commit to your treatment plan, make smart lifestyle choices for your feet, and be patient through the ups and downs of recovery.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.