Plantar Fasciitis: Why Your Heel Hurts and How to Fix It

If you’ve ever felt sharp pain in your heel or arch when taking your first steps in the morning — or after standing, walking, or running — you might be dealing with plantar fasciitis.

This common condition sidelines thousands of active adults, runners, and athletes each year. At Might Performance Therapy, we help people recover from plantar fasciitis by addressing the real causes, not just the symptoms — so you can get back to training, running, or simply living pain-free.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs from your heel to the base of your toes, supporting the arch of your foot. When it becomes irritated or inflamed, it leads to plantar fasciitis, often felt as:

• Sharp heel pain with the first steps in the morning
  

• Pain after long periods of standing or walking
  

• Aching or burning in the arch of the foot
  

• Stiffness after workouts or runs
  
  

Why Plantar Fasciitis Develops

Plantar fasciitis rarely happens overnight. It usually develops from repetitive stress, poor mechanics, or weakness elsewhere in the body. Common causes include:

• Overuse and training errors
  Sudden increases in running mileage, standing for long hours, or ramping up workouts too quickly.
  

• Foot mechanics
  Flat feet, high arches, or overpronation increase strain on the fascia.
  

• Tight calves and ankles
  Limited ankle mobility places extra tension on the heel and arch.
  

• Weakness in hips and core
  Poor control upstream can force the foot to absorb more load than it’s designed for.
  
  

How We Can Help You

Rolling your foot on a frozen water bottle or stretching your calves might feel good in the moment — but they don’t fix the underlying issue. At Might Performance Therapy, we focus on lasting results:

1. Thorough assessment
   Identifying whether the root cause is foot mechanics, mobility restrictions, or weakness elsewhere.
   

2. Restoring mobility
   Improving ankle and calf flexibility to reduce strain on the fascia.
   

3. Strengthening
   Building strength in the foot, calf, hips, and core to improve load distribution.
   

4. Movement retraining
   Correcting gait and running mechanics so plantar fasciitis doesn’t keep coming back.
   

5. Performance integration
   Returning you to running, lifting, or daily life with more resilience than before.
   
   

Self-Treatment at Home for Plantar Fasciitis

While professional treatment provides the fastest and most lasting results, there are also simple things you can do at home to reduce heel pain and support recovery.

Here are two effective self-care techniques:

• Calf Stretch on a Wall
  Place your hands on a wall, step one leg back, and keep your heel on the ground as you lean forward. A tight calf can increase strain on the plantar fascia.
  👉 Hold 30 seconds per side, repeat 2–3 times.
  
  

• Toe Yoga (Foot Strengthening)
  While standing, lift just your big toe while keeping the other toes pressed down, then switch — pressing the big toe down while lifting the smaller toes. This builds arch control and stability.
  👉 Perform 2 sets of 15 reps each foot.
  
  

These exercises can help ease discomfort and build foot strength — but they don’t replace a personalized plan. If heel pain keeps coming back, it’s a sign that a deeper assessment is needed.

Walk, Run, and Train Without Heel Pain

At Might Performance Therapy, we help active adults and athletes resolve plantar fasciitis at its source. With one-on-one care and personalized programs, we don’t just relieve heel pain — we fix the root cause so you can move with confidence.

👉 Book your evaluation today: Click Here to Book Your Appointment!