Plantar Fasciitis Insoles & Treatment
The following information is not meant to be in any way prescriptive and is merely content that has been compiled to help you make an informed decision about which product could suit you. Please remember to contact your physician, podiatrist, or sports therapist for proper, qualified guidance.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis is a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the foot. It is one of the most common causes of heel pain.
The pain associated with plantar fasciitis is not constant pain, you are most likely to feel pain or discomfort after long periods of rest such as first thing in the morning or after resting your feet.
If you have plantar fasciitis then you are also likely to feel discomfort after extended periods standing on your feet, walking, or with intense (or high-impact) use such as running or exercising.
What are the symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?
N.B. Please don't attempt to self-diagnose yourself, you should always seek qualified medical guidance if you believe you have developed a medical condition/injury.
You'll probably find that this pain or discomfort in your foot eases when you start walking, in some cases, the feeling of discomfort can persist but effective management of the condition and your feet can help relieve this.
Here's a list of some symptoms:
- Heel Pain
- Pain in your arches
- Pain that is worse in the morning, when you stand up or after exercise/physical activity
- Persisting pain or discomfort that won't go away
- A tight Achilles tendon
Plantar Fasciitis, if untreated can cause pain in other parts of the body; such as your ankle, calves and knee
What are the causes of Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis can naturally develop as we get older so it is more common in people over the age of 40.
There are however some other causes such as high arches, people with high arches are more likely to develop the condition because the plantar fascia becomes inflamed and irritated.
The Plantar Fascia is a small band of ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heels to your toes and high arches can cause strain on this part of the foot as your plantar fascia effectively supports your arches. Flat feet can similarly affect your feet and be a cause as well.
Other causes and risk factors include obesity, excessive overuse of the feet such as during sports that might affect your heels (long-distance running, ballet, etc.), and jobs that require extended periods of standing.
How can I treat Plantar Fasciitis?
You can recover from Plantar Fasciitis with consistent and regimented treatment which will effectively cure your plantar fasciitis. If you stick to a strict treatment plan, this process can be sped up to a matter of months.
Here's a list of treatments that you should consider including:
- Cold Therapy such as Ice packs
- Kinesiology Taping
- Pain relief for extreme discomfort
- Corrective changes to lifestyle
- Stretching the feet and using massage balls
- Orthotics and insoles
- Achilles Tendon splints at night
- Physical therapy and restrictive measures (walking boot)
What products can I use to help with Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis Insoles
1. Footactive Plantar Fasciitis Insoles
Footactive Plantar Fasciitis Insoles are full-length extra-cushioned Orthotic Insoles for Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis & Pain in the ball of the foot. Designed by Podiatrists.
These insoles for Plantar Fasciitis from Footactive are specifically designed for people with symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
As demonstrated in the picture, these orthotic insoles have a purpose-designed heel pad, a deep heel cup, biomechanical support for your arches, a soft layer for comfort and even a shock-absorbing base!
Visit our Plantar Fasciitis Insoles & Treatment section for more information and insoles FAQs.
2. Vasyli Plantar Fasciitis Insoles
Vasyli McPoil Insoles are designed for stress relief and are a great alternative to FootActive Plantar Fasciitis.
This is because they are also specifically designed to relieve pain associated with plantar fasciitis while also providing proper support for your feet and heels.
McPoil's studies are referenced at the bottom of this buyer's guide.
- Dual-density orthotic insole with a softer overlay to allow for the normal amount of pronation, while preventing over or excess pronation with a higher-density orthotic shell.
- Provides tissue stress relief for common conditions associated with over-pronation such as anterior knee pain, plantar fasciitis, lower leg, and foot arch pain
Visit our Orthotics and Insoles buyers guide for more insoles options for plantar fasciitis. One of the insoles not included in this guide is the Vasyli Hoke Orthotics which are great insoles for plantar fasciitis caused by high arches.
Plantar Fasciitis Relief Products
3. Plantar Massage Balls
There are other products other than Plantar Fasciitis insoles that can help provide some comfort and relief.
Physical Therapy and Massage are some of the most important treatments when it comes to recovering from plantar fasciitis and relieving pain.
Massage balls are some of the most affordable yet effective methods for physical therapy exercises and massaging out aches and pains.
Plantar Massage Balls are simple but effective professionally made, hard maple wooden massage balls that roll out tightness and promote flexibility in the arch and forefoot; alleviating conditions of plantar fasciitis.
If you are looking for more types of massage balls or spiky balls then take a look at our Massage Tools and Massage Balls
4. Physique Reusable Hot and Cold Pack
Cold therapy can be extremely helpful for relieving the pain associated with plantar fasciitis.
The Physique Hot and Cold Pack is the perfect tool for this as you can keep it in your freezer and use it whenever you need it.
Try to avoid using the heat aspect (microwaving for a minute) for plantar fasciitis treatment.
This is because it is not recommended that you use heat on inflamed areas unless hot and cold therapy is alternated properly, please visit Hot and Cold Therapy for more information
5. Mueller Arch Support
The Mueller arch support is another great support/aid that will help alleviate feelings of discomfort.
This arch support is designed for arch pain, such as flat feet and high arches which can cause plantar fasciitis.
It is comfortable enough to wear around during the day but if you experience any feelings of discomfort after extended use then please refrain from using wearing it too often or for too long.
If you have subsequent pain from plantar fasciitis caused in the ankle or knee then please take a look at our Knee Supports, Ankle Supports, and our other Supports and Braces
Features:
- Designed to relieve pain caused by Plantar Fasciitis.
- Provides upward compression to constantly support the arch of the foot.
- Soft pad for extra comfort and adjustable strap for a custom fit.
The Mueller FasciaDerm PF Tape is another great product from Mueller that is designed specifically for plantar fasciitis, the tape is applied to the base of the foot and around the arches for effective support and pain relief
6. Deep Freeze Cold Gel
Drug-free, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel works rapidly, and like ice, provides effective, soothing, penetrating cooling pain relief to the affected or swollen area. Cooling therapy can decrease blood flow to the affected area and may help minimise damage.
Other effective pain relief products include Fisiocrem, Deep Relief.
Try to avoid using Deep Heat for the reasons mentioned above under the Hot and Cold Pack, take a look at the rest of our Cold Gels and Pain Relief Gels
7. Tuli's Heavy Duty Heel Cups
Tuli's Heel Cups are the #1 Podiatrist recommended Heel Cups in the world. Nothing works better or lasts longer. The heel cups act as a type of shock absorbtion for your feet.
These heel cups offer additional thickness and support that work best in athletic shoes, cleats, work boots and more spacious lace-up shoes. These heel cups are biomedically designed to help relieve pain from plantar fasciitis and heel pain.
Take a look at DualGel Heel Cups which are an alternative to this product or visit Feet and Heel Protection for more products that can help keep your feet and heels protected and cared for.
8. Tiger K Tape
Kinesiology Tape is known for its pain relief effects, our Tiger K Tape can be used to relieve pain associated with Plantar Fasciitis.
In a study on the effects of Kinesiology Tape on Plantar Fasciitis patients -
"It was concluded that the additional treatment with continuous kinesiology taping for one week might alleviate the pain of plantar fasciitis better than a traditional physical therapy program only."
(please see references below for full results).
How do I apply tape for plantar fasciitis?
Here are a couple of videos on Plantar Fasciitis Taping Techniques. The first video is from John Gibbons and is on how to use kinesiology tape for plantar fasciitis, this video shows a taping technique for plantar fasciitis and general foot pain using kinesiology tape.
Here are the videos as full-screen videos: Taping technique for Plantar Fasciitis, we also sell John Gibbon's book on Taping Techniques if you wanted a comprehensive guide on all taping techniques
How to apply Plantar Fasciitis Kinesio Taping
How to apply Kinesio Taping for Plantar Fasciitis from running
Sources and References
McPoil's (Vasyli McPoil Insoles) Studies:
McPoil, T.G., Martin, R.L., Cornwall, M.W., Wukich, D.K., Irrgang, J.J. and Godges, J.J., 2008. Heel pain—plantar fasciitis. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 38(4), pp.A1-A18.
McPoil, T.G., and Cornwall, M.W., 1999. Plantar fasciitis: etiology and treatment. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 29(12), pp.756-760.
Other References:
Tsai, C.T., Chang, W.D. and Lee, J.P., 2010. Effects of short-term treatment with kinesiotaping for plantar fasciitis. Journal of Musculoskeletal pain, 18(1), pp.71-80.
Mayo Clinic Plantar Fasciitis Diagnosis and Treatment
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