Plantar fasciitis, also known as plantar fascia inflammation, is one of the most common foot injuries in endurance sports. It’s caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of connective tissue running from the heel bone to the toes, supporting your arch and helping absorb impact when you walk and run. Here are our best tips to prevent it and speed up recovery.
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What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition defined by inflammation of the plantar fascia.
The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that runs from the heel bone (calcaneus) to the toes. It supports the arch of your foot and helps absorb shock during walking and running.
You’ll often feel it like a cramp under the arch, or a sharp pain around the heel.
Causes and risk factors
Runners with a very high arch (cavus foot) or a low arch (flat feet) are more prone to this running injury. Runners with pronounced supination (foot rolling outward) or pronation (foot rolling inward) also tend to be affected more often.
Wearing the wrong running shoes is a frequent trigger, just like running on hard surfaces such as asphalt and pavement. Remember to replace or rotate your running shoes if they’re worn out. As a rule of thumb, most running shoes should be replaced after about 800 km (500 miles), or after more than a year of use. And if you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis and you have two pairs at home, test the other pair. You might feel less pain in that one.
Finally, downhill running is especially likely to bring on this type of heel and arch pain.
How to treat plantar fasciitis?
This kind of pain can linger for weeks, sometimes for a few months. Even if it feels manageable, it’s better to see a physical therapist or osteopath as soon as you can to fix the root cause. A physical therapist may use shockwave therapy on the area to help speed up the healing process.
When the pain is too strong, it’s best to swap running for other sports that don’t trigger it, like swimming, or in some cases cycling. During acute flare-ups, avoid speed work, hill repeats, and plyometrics.
Stretching and massage to relieve plantar fasciitis
It’s recommended to apply ice under the sole of your foot for 5 minutes, up to 5 times per day. You can use a frozen water bottle and gently roll it under your arch.
You can also stretch your calves, massage your calves and the arch of your foot, and use a tennis ball if needed.
Finally, avoid anti-inflammatories unless a medical professional advises them. They often reduce pain, but they can sometimes slow down recovery.
Hang in there, and take care of yourself. When you’re ready to get back to training and chase your next endurance goals, take a look at the RunMotion Coach app.