Mini Series Starting Monday 19th May 2025
Plantar Fasciitis: The Truth
A common foot pain symptom that is misunderstood and mistreated
Starting Monday – Plantar Fasciitis Awareness Week withNIKKi - #plantarfasciitisthetruth
Heel pain when you get out of bed?
A stabbing, burning or deep bruised feeling under your foot?
Struggling to walk, but pushing through anyway?
Next week, I’m breaking it down.
Five days of clear, practical info:
What plantar fasciitis is
Why it starts
What to look for in your feet
What actually helps
Why other areas may hurt too
If your (or someone you know) heel pain keeps coming back or never fully goes away, this is for you.
As a previous sufferer of Plantar Fasciitis I understand your pain, frustration and the effects on your physical and mental health.
Day One
What is the Plantar Fascia?
Let’s start at the beginning.
The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that runs along the sole of your foot, from your heel to your toes. It acts like a built-in spring, helping to support your arch and your foot absorb impact every time you take a step.
When it’s working well, you don’t notice it. But if it’s overused or overstretched, it can become irritated, inflamed or even develop tiny tears. That’s what we call plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis usually shows up as a sharp, or deep bruised type pain in the heel, especially first thing in the morning or after sitting down. It can also build through the day with walking or standing. The pain is often blamed on your feet being “flat” or “tight,” but it’s not always that simple.
I have suffered with Plantar Fasciitis on and off for 20 years, and until I addressed the underlying cause it kept coming back. I used to walk sideways down the stairs every morning, like a crab because it was less painful.
Day Two
Plantar Fasciitis – What Really Causes It?
Plantar fasciitis doesn’t just happen. It’s caused by repeated overload and poor foot mechanics.
The most common triggers include a sudden increase in walking, running or standing, often due to a new job, a step-count goal, or a change in routine. Weight gain and common footwear are also common factors. Shoes with no structure, like flip flops or backless slippers, force the toes to grip constantly. On the other hand, overly cushioned trainers can do all the work for your feet, leaving the muscles weak and unsupported. Either way, the fascia ends up carrying the load.
Shoes with elevated heels, such as stilettos (obviously) trainers, court shoes, steel toes capped boots, walking boots etc... any shoe that is not specifically designed as Zero Drop. When your toes are lower than your heels you are making for trouble. You wouldn't build a house on uneven foundations?
Tight calves reduce ankle mobility, forcing the heel to absorb more force with every step. Weak arches, poor toe movement, and poor alignment at the hips and glutes all add to the strain. If the fascia is being pulled and compressed every time you move, it starts to break down.
Unless these causes are addressed, the fascia will stay irritated and so will the pain.
Day Three
Plantar Fasciitis – Early Signs to Watch For
Heel pain doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. There are signs your feet are struggling long before the pain kicks in.
These clues show the fascia is already doing more than it should:
Collapsed arches, especially if one foot looks flatter than the other
Gripping or clawing toes when walking or standing barefoot
Thick calluses or cracked skin around the heel, often on the outer edge
Limited ankle movement (can you bend your ankle forward while keeping your heel on the ground?)
Poor balance when standing on one leg
Bunions or hammer toes, which suggest long-term compensation
Ongoing knee pain that hasn’t responded to treatment
Overpronation
Lower back pain linked to standing or walking
Pelvic floor dysfunction without a clear cause
Weak glutes that fail to support walking and standing posture
Even if pain is mild or comes and goes, the mechanics are already off. Catching it sooner rather than later can stop it from becoming something bigger.
Day Four
Plantar Fasciitis – Why Pain Relief Isn’t Recovery
Most people are sold short-term fixes that do nothing to restore function.
Here’s what you’ll see over and over again:
Rest reduces load temporarily, but doesn’t correct faulty mechanics
Ice dampens the signal, but not the cause
Orthotics can offload symptoms, but reduce intrinsic muscle demand
Fascia stretching and bottle rolling don’t improve strength or loading strategies
These methods target pain, not the reason it developed in the first place.
Recovery starts with progressive loading, improved joint mobility, and restoring strength from the ground up. The fascia doesn’t fail on its own. It breaks down when the system around it stops doing its job.
Day Five
Plantar Fasciitis – The Fascia is Part of a Whole-Body System
Plantar fasciitis doesn’t stay in the foot. When one part of the body stops working efficiently, another area will compensate. That’s why many people with heel pain also report:
Tight, overactive calves
Knees that feel unstable or ache when walking
Hips that feel stiff or painful
Lower back pain that seems unrelated at first
The fascia is part of a whole-body system. If the foot can’t absorb and transfer force properly, the load shifts upwards. Long-term recovery requires a full-chain approach: foot, ankle, knee, hip, and core, all aligned, all working together. This is exactly why a foot-first method works.
I hope this mini series has helped you gain a deeper understanding of Plantar Fasciitis and the myths surrounding it, also how treating the symptoms will provide pain relief but won't fix the actual problem - so it is likely to come back again.
Thank you for taking the time to read this mini series.
