Nonsurgical Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis from a doctor typically comes in the form of using a heel insert, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories which can be useful for the swelling and pain.

They may also recommend that you consider surgery which, along with the resulting follow-up, can be quite expensive. Before considering surgery, you should consider other treatment options for at least a while. If under a doctors care, they may even encourage you to try other treatments for up to 12 months.

If you are an athlete or highly active, there are a few things you can consider doing to encourage the fascia tissue to heal instead of jumping into such drastic measures such as surgery right away:

Nonsurgical treatments.

These treatments are generally pretty effective. The pain can be treated with certain exercises, those of which will be discussed in a moment.

Foot Alignment Socks 

Foot or toe alignment socks are designed to align the toes back into a more natural position. The socks work by helping to open up the circulation throughout the foot and stretching out the toes, as this can inhibit you walking the correct way which could cause further symptoms. These socks feature gentle, comfortable spacers between the toes allowing you to begin healing the plantar fasciitis at home.

Shock wave therapy

This works by using sound waves to stimulate the tissue and help it heal. It has been proven to work but a lot of insurance providers do not cover it. Typically the cost of shock wave therapy relating to plantar fasciitis will cost between $500 and $1500 per treatment and some doctors advocate for two to three treatments, depending on the condition.

Custom arch support

You can get custom supports made that will fit the shape of your specific arches. Having plenty of arch support will lessen the strain that comes with plantar fasciitis but they may not release the tightness in the plantar fascia caused by misalignment of the toes.

Stretching

Stretching is also helpful to treat this condition and can help reduce inflammation and provide greater elasticity to reduce pain.

Ice

Ice packs can be applied to the foot for 20 minutes, three times a day to relieve the pain and swelling.

The best way to help Plantar Fasciitis is to be proactive and prevent it from ever happening or from returning. By following a regular stretching routine and allowing your feet to return to a more natural position with foot alignment socks, this is a very preventable ailment.