What Is the Best Plantar Fasciitis Treatment?

The best treatment for plantar fasciitis depends on the severity of your condition. Options can include home remedies, medications, physical therapy, and, less commonly, surgery. People using nonsurgical treatments typically experience pain resolution within three to six months of consistent treatment.

This article discusses treatment options for plantar fasciitis, including home remedies and medical treatments to discuss with your healthcare provider.

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Home remedies and lifestyle changes can help improve your plantar fasciitis symptoms. These can include:

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments—such as acupuncture or chiropractic care—may help decrease symptoms of plantar fasciitis. However, the scientific evidence to support these treatment options is lacking, so proceed cautiously.

If home remedies do not relieve your symptoms, you may need to try certain medications or medical procedures.

Over-the-counter medications can help reduce symptoms that occur with plantar fasciitis, including:

Depending on the severity of your plantar fasciitis, you may need prescription medications, such as oral corticosteroids.

A healthcare provider may also recommend certain procedures to treat plantar fasciitis, including the following:

Physical therapy can be beneficial for treating plantar fasciitis. Physical therapists use various modalities to help decrease pain and inflammation, such as:

Some physical therapists have additional training in dry-needling techniques, which have been shown to help decrease symptoms of plantar fasciitis.

A physical therapist can also recommend appropriate footwear and evaluate your biomechanics (bodily movements)—such as how you run—to help determine the underlying cause of your plantar fasciitis.

People with severe plantar fasciitis who have not responded to other treatments may need surgery. The procedure to treat this condition is called plantar fasciotomy or plantar fascia release and is done endoscopically (using tiny tools) or through an open incision.

After surgery, you may need a walking boot for a few weeks to allow the tissue to heal. Physical therapy after surgery can help you regain your range of motion and strength. However, higher-level activities, such as running and jumping, are restricted for several months.

Surgery does not cure all cases of plantar fasciitis. Up to 25% of people will still have pain after the procedure.

Up to 90% of people with plantar fasciitis will recover with three to six months of conservative (meaning nonsurgical) treatment. A healthcare provider may recommend surgery if symptoms last more than three to six months.

The best treatment for plantar fasciitis depends on the severity of your condition. It can be treated with home remedies, lifestyle changes, medications, physical therapy, and other procedures such as extracorporeal shock wave therapy or radiofrequency ablation. The condition resolves in approximately 90% of people after conservative treatment. However, in severe cases, surgery may be required.

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Latt LD, Jaffe DE, Tang Y, Taljanovic MS. Evaluation and treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis. Foot Ankle Orthop. 2020;5(1):2473011419896763. doi:10.1177%2F2473011419896763

By Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CHTAubrey Bailey is a physical therapist and professor of anatomy and physiology with over a decade of experience providing in-person and online education for medical personnel and the general public, specializing in the areas of orthopedic injury, neurologic diseases, developmental disorders, and healthy living.