{"id":9803,"date":"2022-07-01T14:30:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T21:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/?p=9803"},"modified":"2025-10-14T12:13:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T19:13:37","slug":"what-are-the-causes-of-plantar-fasciitis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/what-are-the-causes-of-plantar-fasciitis\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Causes of Plantar Fasciitis?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By Dr. Jackie Sutera<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plantar fasciitis is when the fascia on the bottom of the foot, which attaches to the heel bone, becomes inflamed, thick, and painful. It usually presents with symptoms of pain after periods of rest and with the first step in the morning.\u00a0 Plantar fasciitis is a localized skeletal inflammation that can be caused by and aggravated by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a sudden increase in activity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increased body weight<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improper or old, thin, flat, worn-out shoes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">overpronation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">limb length discrepancy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fat pad atrophy\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tight achilles tendons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are some ways to treat plantar fasciitis?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stretch Daily<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calf stretches 4 x a day (minimum) for 15 seconds at a time. Ways to do it include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Runners stretch against the wall,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Downward dog yoga pose, and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calf stretch &#8211; This is the most important stretch to do first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. You can perform a calf stretch by extending your leg, locking your knee, and using a belt or tee shirt looped around your ball of foot to pull your foot back to stretch your calf, which also stretches your plantar fascia.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is most important because after periods of rest, the PF and achilles tighten up and when you put weight down without warming up, it starts the inflammation cycle all over again, so super important to stretch before putting weight on it. (YouTube or Google some of these stretches).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper Massaging<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is very important to massage the arch, achilles and calf. This works best after shower, so everything is soft and warmed up.\u00a0 The arch: think of a tic tac toe board and massage going up and down the arch vertically, then across horizontally from the ball of the heel, do this for one minute and use\u00a0 a body oil or moisturizer and medium\/deep pressure.\u00a0 You can also use a golf ball but remember to go up, up, up then across, across, across like you are drawing a tic tac toe board.\u00a0 This does provide a fascial release which can be very helpful in relieving pain and inflammation. Don&#8217;t forget to ice! You should be icing for at least 15 min at a time, at least 4 times a day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure you have the proper footwear<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>Avoid being barefoot for long periods of standing and walking.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Over time, the fat pad on the balls and bottom of the foot can become thin. This is called fat pad atrophy. Often, elderly people will have little to no fat on the bottom of their foot and are basically walking on skin and bone.\u00a0 This symptom can start to present and cause pain as early as people in their 30&#8217;s. Wearing cushioned <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/aches-and-pains\/plantar-fasciitis\">plantar fasciitis shoes<\/a><\/span> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/women\/plantar-fasciitis-shoes\/slippers.html\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">women\u2019s plantar fasciitis slippers<\/span><\/a> is a great way to slow down the progression of fat pad atrophy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>No old or worn out shoes!<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Replace shoes as soon as they show signs of wear, even if they are &#8220;comfortable&#8221;. Old shoes force your feet to land at an abnormal angle and your body weight then gets transfered abnormally which can cause pain, inflammation, and even injury.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>Make sure your shoes and slippers have arch support like styles from <\/b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/\"><b>Vionic<\/b><\/a><\/span><b>.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Vionic also has deep seated heel cups and cushioning, which are also key in treating and preventing Plantar fasciitis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>Avoid platform shoes and flat shoes.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you have plantar fasciitis, a &#8220;heel to toe drop&#8221; is most comfortable, where the heel of the shoe is even slightly thicker\/higher than the front of the shoe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>Have a &#8220;shoe wardrobe&#8221;.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not wear the same shoes everyday all day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternate between different styles and types depending on activities. Thinking ahead helps, just like you would think ahead for the weather.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it&#8217;s raining, you should use an umbrella.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are going to be on your feet walking, you should have shoes made for walking that are supportive.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>Insoles, arch support and orthotics can also help people with plantar fasciitis and overpronation.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding OTC <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/women\/womens-insoles.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">insoles<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or buying shoes, like Vionic, which already have arch support built in is recommended to alleviate, treat and prevent symptoms of PF.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0In more severe cases that are resistant, or if the patient also has a limb length discrepancy, where one leg is or functions as if it is longer than the other- a custom molded orthotic may be made by their podiatrist. This is a prescription device that is made to go into shoes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When To Seek Medical Help For Your Plantar Fasciitis<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><b>Rest.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is not the time to be doing high impact workouts or walking a lot for exercise&#8230; do lower impact workouts until you get better then slowly get back into it and increase intensity.\u00a0 Make sure your sneakers are in good shape, and you should only use work out sneakers for workouts- don&#8217;t use the same pairs for errands, they should be separate. Workouts vs. daily walking have different wear patterns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-If your symptoms persist or worsen after about 10 days\/2 weeks of trying some home remedies,\u00a0 it would be a good idea to see a podiatrist for a definitive diagnosis, evaluation. They may take an Xray, or order ultrasound or MRI. Some possible treatments for more persistent and severe cases of plantar fasciitis include: cortisone injection, physical therapy, custom orthotics, prescription anti inflammatories, etc..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-In cases where all conservative treatments have failed, or if there is a tear in the fascia, surgery may be recommended and necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Products Should You Look For When Treating Plantar Fasciitis?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-I am a huge advocate for wearing supportive slippers and shoes with support, like the <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/relax-slipper.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relax<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/tide-ii-toe-post-sandal.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tide<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other styles from Vionic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-OTC motrin (if you can take it) 600mg up to 3 times a day with food, this is the equivalent of prescription strength versions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-Voltaren gel is now over the counter. It is a topical anti-inflammatory which works so nicely for foot aches. 3 times a day, the size of a quarter. rub into the foot after massage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About the Author:\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Jacqueline Sutera is a surgically trained doctor of podiatric medicine specializing in the prevention and treatment of foot pathology. She graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Philosophy. She later attended the New York College of Podiatric Medicine where she earned the degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). Dr. Sutera received her postgraduate residency training at the busy level-one trauma center at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, NY and Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. During her time there, she served as chief surgical resident and received and completed training in all aspects of podiatric medicine and surgery. Dr. Sutera is Board Certified in Foot Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Foot &amp; Ankle Surgeons. She is also a proud member and spokesperson for the <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.apma.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Podiatric Medical Association<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the New York State Podiatric Medical Society. As one of NYC&#8217;s premier podiatric physicians, she is a caring, conscientious and extremely personable doctor who prides herself on being holistic in her approach to foot care. Where other doctors treat feet only locally, she has a unique gift of being able to link some foot problems to other underlying conditions taking place in the body.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"more-link\" id=\"excerpt\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/what-are-the-causes-of-plantar-fasciitis\/\">Read More &gt;<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2607],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-wellness","dwtl normal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9803"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13117,"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9803\/revisions\/13117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}