How to treat plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis, a common reason for heel pain, can lame anyone, from marathon runners to Tiger Woods.

It’s one of the most common of all soft tissue injuries, but the condition isn’t just inflammation (as the “-itis” in the name suggests) of the plantar fascia, a ligament that lies under the skin at the bottom of each foot, experts say. It also is a mechanical failure that requires a physical intervention — stretching and strengthening the foot’s ligaments and muscles.

If you have plantar fasciitis, don’t just rest your foot. Stretch it, apply tension to the arch of your foot, and gradually return to walking while wearing a supportive pair of shoes, researchers say.

Common treatments for plantar fasciitis address the inflammation, often by icing or even immobilizing the foot. Prolonged rest — the first step in the “R.I.C.E.” treatment plan of rest, ice, compression and elevation — can lead to a longer recovery time for the plantar fascia, says Keith Baar, a professor of molecular exercise physiology at the University of California at Davis.

“The inactivity and the immobilization actually exacerbates the injury,” Baar said.

To speed up recovery, Baar and other experts say, you should stretch the foot and apply tension to the plantar fascia to physically lengthen the ligament and encourage healing.

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