Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes chronic pain in the bottom of the heel or foot. It is caused by overuse or putting too much stress on the feet. Here are some treatments that can help relieve the pain and promote healing:

1. Rest: Healing plantar fasciitis starts with giving your injured foot or feet a rest. Avoid or modify activities that make your foot hurt or put extra pressure on your feet.

2. Ice: Icing the sore spot on your sole several times a day may help with pain and inflammation. Rolling a ball, water bottle, or foam roller under the arch of your foot can also relieve plantar fasciitis pain.

3. Stretching and exercise: Stretch your calves, Achilles tendon, and the bottom of your foot. Do exercises that make your hips, lower leg, and foot muscles stronger. This can help stabilize your ankle, ease pain, and keep plantar fasciitis from coming back.

4. Athletic tape and orthotics: Tape can support your foot and keep you from moving it in a way that makes plantar fasciitis worse. Arch taping and orthotics were found to be significantly better than use of NSAIDs, cortisone injection, or heel cups in one randomized treatment study.

5. Medications: Pain relievers you can buy without a prescription such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium can ease the pain and inflammation of plantar fasciitis.

6. Physical therapy: A physical therapist can show you exercises to stretch the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon and to strengthen lower leg muscles. A therapist also might teach you to apply athletic taping to support the bottom of your foot.

7. Shock wave therapy: This therapy is based on delivering low-energy or high-energy shock waves to a specific area. The shock waves create microscopic trauma, which triggers a healing response.

8. Surgery: It’s very rare to need surgery for plantar fasciitis. Surgery is usually only considered if other treatments have failed and the pain is severe.

In addition to these treatments, it is important to correct the problems that place individuals at risk for plantar fasciitis, such as increased amount of weight-bearing activity, increased intensity of activity, hard walking/running surfaces, and worn shoes.