Can Plantar Fasciitis Be Cured?

Perhaps the most common question someone suffering from PF may ask is “can plantar fasciitis be cured?”

In this article, we’ll aim to answer that vital question and cover some other frequently asked questions relating to this foot condition.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis, also known as Jogger’s heel, involves the inflammation or painful swelling of the plantar fascia. It is a common cause of heel pain and stiffness and can be challenging to treat. The plantar fascia is the thick fibrous ligament that runs at the bottom of each foot and connects the heel and toe bones.

One of the symptoms of plantar fasciitis is a stabbing, aching or burning pain when you take your first steps in the morning. The pain might reduce as you take more steps, but it usually returns when you stand up for too long. Also, the pain, typically at the bottom of the foot near the heel, can be triggered when you stand up after sitting.

Here are some of the most common questions regarding plantar fasciitis.

Common Questions

What’s the cause of PF?

Practically anything can cause plantar fasciitis, particularly things that can damage or irritate the plantar fascia. These include standing for too long, playing sports, exercising on hard surfaces, exercising without warming up, and wearing unsupportive footwear, among others.

Certain health conditions can also predispose you to plantar fasciitis, such as flat feet, high arch feet, and obesity. Nevertheless, it is usually hard to decipher the cause of plantar fasciitis in many cases.

How long does PF last?

Symptoms will typically ease as soon as you start treating the condition, but it may take weeks to months to heal. Also, how long plantar fasciitis lasts depends on how soon it is detected and treated. You could recover from plantar fasciitis entirely within six to fourteen months if detected early and promptly treated.

Without treatment, however, plantar fasciitis can still go on its own, but it’ll take over a year for the pain to subside. Moreover, untreated plantar fasciitis can lead to more serious complications, especially if one keeps stressing it.

Why won’t my PF heal?

Usually, plantar fasciitis doesn’t heal quickly for different reasons, one of which is that it bears the weight of the whole body. Also, PF takes a long time to heal because it does not have enough blood vessels to bring nutrients and oxygen. However, plantar fasciitis is not healing mainly because the disorder is underlying chronic inflammation causing the disorder.

What’s the worst that can happen with PF?

If plantar fasciitis is left untreated for too long, the plantar fascia starts to get small tears, gradually increasing the pain levels. The longer treatment delays, the more significant these tears get, and plantar fascia becomes highly susceptible to rupture and debilitation.

Also, continuing activities that inflict pain on the plantar fascia despite having plantar fasciitis will cause the fascia to rupture. Additionally, untreated plantar fasciitis can lead to heel spurs, where calcium deposits build into sharp protrusions digging into the heel’s fatty pad.

Will PF ever go away?

Plantar fasciitis eventually resolves with non-surgical treatments within 3 to 12 months; it is longer without treatment. In severe plantar fasciitis cases, however, a surgeon may need to remove the fascia of the heel or just some scar tissues. However, surgery is the last resort, and a podiatrist would only recommend it when all other treatment methods fail.

Will I have PF for the rest of my life?

You most likely will not have plantar fasciitis for the rest of your life because the condition typically responds well to treatment. The condition is far from chronic or permanent; most cases are resolved within a few months of conservative treatments.

Can PF be cured?

Plantar fasciitis can be cured in most cases, usually within a few months of treatment and taking it easy. A podiatrist or physiotherapist may need to work with you if necessary, particularly if the symptoms are not easing up.

Treatments and Solutions

We recommend you to read about our best plantar fasciitis treatments in full but for the meantime, here are some common treatments and solutions.

Rest

Quit all strenuous activities that caused the plantar fasciitis for at least a week. Resting keeps the weight off the plantar fascia, allowing it to heal.

Supportive Footwear

Avoid sandals and flat shoes like flip-flops lacking built-in arch support, and don’t walk with bare feet. Put on sturdy, supportive footwear with sufficient arch and heel support.

Orthotics

Use orthotic inserts to wear your favourite shoes for extra arch support. You can buy premade orthotics online or in stores or get a podiatrist to custom-make one.

Over-the-counter NSAIDs

NSAIDs like naproxen, aspirin, and ibuprofen help to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis. However, you should only take them for 10 days; see your doctor if it lasts longer.