Plantar fasciitis

The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain on the bottom of your foot, around your heel and arch. Credit: NHSD/Rich Kelly/Turbosquid It's more likely to be plantar fasciitis if: the pain is much worse when you first start walking after sleeping or resting the pain gradually gets better when you start moving around, but gets worse if you stand, walk or run for a long time it's painful to stretch the bottom of your foot, for example when you raise your toes off the floor or walk up stairs

If you see a GP for plantar fasciitis, they'll usually suggest you try these things: Do rest and raise your foot on a stool when you can put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas) in a towel on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours wear shoes with cushioned heels and good arch support use insoles or heel pads in your shoes try regular gentle exercises to stretch the sole of your foot and your heel try exercises that do not put pressure on your feet, such as swimming take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen gel, or ibuprofen tablets if you need them try to lose weight if you're overweight Don’t do not walk or stand for long periods do not wear high heels or tight pointy shoes do not wear flip-flops or backless slippers try not to walk barefoot on hard surfaces A pharmacist can help with plantar fasciitis You can ask a pharmacist about: the best painkiller to take insoles and pads for your shoes if you need to see a GP Find a pharmacy

If plantar fasciitis does not get better, you might need to see a physiotherapist or foot specialist (podiatrist). A physiotherapist can show you exercises to help ease your symptoms. A podiatrist can recommend things like insoles and the right shoes to wear, or splints to wear at night. If these things do not help, you may be offered other treatments such as steroid injections, or using a machine to deliver high-energy sound waves to your foot (extracorporeal shock-wave therapy). Less commonly you may be referred to a specialist to discuss surgery. Physiotherapy is available free of charge on the NHS throughout the UK but waiting times for accessing physiotherapy can sometimes be long. Get NHS help for back or joint problems Podiatry may not be available for free on the NHS everywhere and waiting times can sometimes be long. Find a registered podiatrist You can also pay to see a podiatrist or physiotherapist privately.

Plantar fasciitis is caused by straining the part of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia). It's not always clear why this happens. Plantar fasciitis is common. You may be more likely to get it if you: are 40 to 60 years of age recently started exercising on hard surfaces exercise with a tight calf or heel overstretch the sole of your foot during exercise do a lot of standing, walking or running, or started doing a lot more than is usual for you wear shoes with poor cushioning or support are overweight