How to Fix Plantar Fasciitis (NO MORE HEEL PAIN!)

Wondering how to fix plantar fasciitis once and for all? Not by doing the same overused methods that you've likely already tried. Here's a permanent fix for plantar fasciitis that will prevent this common tendonitis from ever coming back.

First, it helps to understand the role of the plantar fascia. The real job of this tough structure is to support your arch in standing. It runs from the calcaneus or heel distally towards the tendon sheaths of the toes. Essentially, it spans the entire arch and can be felt if you strum across this area with your thumb. For those that have inflammation of the fascia, you feel a distinct knife-life stabbing pain in your heel when you take a step (especially in the morning).

The reason the symptoms are particularly worst in the morning is that the plantar fascia has had a chance to shorten and tighten up a bit over night with your foot remaining in a plantar flexed position mostly from the covers pulling your ankle down. Even later in the day however, the pain is obvious and it prevents those that suffer from it from walking, running or competing normally.

The problem is that people often times will seek out treatment for their plantar fasciitis and be left with either no resolution to the problem or worse, they feel slightly better but the pain comes back quickly. This is because doing nothing but ultrasounding, rubbing, massaging or rolling a lacrosse ball on the arch is not getting at the real problem. You are simply attacking the symptom and not the cause. So let’s get to the cause.

Most of the time, if you test your calf flexibility on the side of pain and determine that you have calf tightness then you definitely want to fix that since that is almost always the cause of same sided pain. The problem is however, doing a traditional hanging standing calf stretch off the stairs is not going to fix this pain. Instead, you need to realize that the pain is coming from the inability of the foot to maintain a rigid position at the time you lift your heel off the ground to propel your body. It is maintaining an everted heel with a loose midfoot which creates an unstable foot to try and press off of. This will result in an enormous amount of stress being shifted to the fascia to do something it is not equipped to do.

So if you want to stretch your calf you have to place the foot back in the position you are struggling to maintain. This is shown in three different ways in the video. Now, if the pain you are getting is coming from a side that does not exhibit calf tightness then you would want to look to the opposite side glute medius for weakness or a lack of thoracic extension or rotation to that side.

When the glute medium is weak on the opposite hip you get a dropping of the hip on that side. This forces the opposite foot (the one you are having the pain on) into pronation and creates an unstable foot once again. Either way, regardless of what the cause is you can see that it has nothing to do with the foot itself and everything to do with the joints above like the ankle, hip or spine.

If you are looking for a complete workout program that helps you to build a body that is fortified against injury and helps you to build ripped athletic muscle at the same time, head to the link below and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System.

If you like the fact that this channel is created by a physical therapist and can help you to tackle the pains and injuries that have been nagging you forever while still showing you how to build muscle and get ripped, then please be sure to subscribe to the channel as well.

[airhead]

My PF started 12 years ago. Quit running 6 years ago. Stopped walking 3 years ago when even that became too painful especially in the mornings. 8 physios couldnt help me. Surgery was recommended.
Yesterday after watching this video, I practiced these excercises 4 times throughout the day. Today is the first time in almost a decade that I have stepped out of bed with no shooting pain in my heels.

[adrienray]

I'm a foot and ankle surgeon and I'm really impressed by the accuracy of Jeff explanations. This is exactly how to treat PF correctly. Many Physiotherapist don't even know all these things.

[vangjohnny]

Heres my story for anybody that needs to hear it. About a month ago the sole of my heel just started hurting. And every morning the pain would be so bad i can barley walk to the restroom. After a few minutes it would get better but be sore throughout the day up until the end of the day where it would get ver sore. That pain cycle repeated for three to four weeks. I saw this video and started doing the first atretch he shows twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed. After about three days of doing that stretch the morning pain went from a 9 to a 3. Then another three days and now the pain is completely gone. No more pain in the morning or throughout the day. Thanks a ton to Jeff and this video. It has helped a ton.

[megmc]

7:00 Calf stretch
9:30 Opposite side Glute medius
11:00 Thoracic Extension & Rotation

[dmkn]

How to fix plantar fasciitis
4:18 Tight calves are creating a timing issue.
7:25 Try this calf stretch
9:13 other stretch, glute medius
10:32 Glute medius strength
10:55 Rotation and foot position

[wesnunnguitar]

Jeff, I know this video is old but I am a pharmacist who walks 3 miles a day at work 10 hours a day and have done so for 14 years. My feet fiinally got to a point where it felt like knives were going through my heels. I stumbled on your video and it really changed my life. The pain was so bad that, lately, I had been wondering if my career was coming to and end because my body was giving out. Turns out, after all these years.... just a damn simple fix.... Jeff, you seriously improved my quality of life 100-fold and I can't thank you enough for saving my life with this video

[SgtSplacker]

I just wanted to come back and comment on this video. The exercise where the foot is against the wall is what did it for me. I literally did the exercise once maybe twice and it cured my PF. It has been about two years now and the pain is still gone. I was suffering for over 10 years. Thank

[sanjaynet]

I’ve suffered from PF and Achilles tendonitis for well over 15 years. Last 5 years it has been really painful significantly limiting my walking, jogging, or any sports. I’ve spent well over $5, 000 on variety of cures ranging from tennis balls, frozen bottles, various bandages, compression sleeves to even electro therapy, expensive custom made orthotics, and a series of PT regimen…nothing worked. My pain keeps getting worse causing me concern that my high mobility days are over ( I’m in my late 60s) even though I’m quite fit.

A few weeks ago I was “scootering” with my son in LA downtown on July 4th, where all I had to do was to stand on the electric scooter. After 2 hours the pain almost made me faint! It was on that fateful day that I came across this YouTube video and it changed my life! In just 2 days of the 3 min routine I started seeing relief and I couldn’t believe my recovery. Today it’s two weeks since and the tendonitis is virtually gone! I don’t feel sore even when I do the “hard pinch” of the tendon. Previously, I would wince! The PF, while still there has gone from a 9 or 10 to a 5 and I feel I will overcome that as well in a few weeks!

What a great, elegant and yet simple cure! The science makes sense and the cure works. You see, I started to do rigorous exercise late in life and perhaps never “coached” my calves properly to take the brunt of the impact. So I misused my Ach tendon and Plantar. Now with this amazing cure, I’m retraining my calves to simply DO THEIR JOB! It’s so surprising that this simple approach has evaded the medical community…I could have been pain free a lot sooner! Kudos Athlean-x!

Thank you!!

[JD..........]

7:25 - 1st Practical step: calf
10:24 - 2nd Pr. step: glute medius
11:59 - 3rd Pr. step: thoracic extension+rotation

[daniellecampbell]

This brought me to tears. I did this and immediately felt relief I haven’t felt in over a year. I cannot thank you enough.

[Psalm-ygyi]

*February 18th 2023: Started walking and got rid of eighty (80 Lbs) pounds through walking (May- October 2019). Gained it back in winter because was a little depressed with cold and dark here in Alaska. Got plantars. Now, I need to START AGAIN. The Lord is my helper! Today I start these*

[woodmanAK]

For over 3 weeks I’ve been experiencing sharp pain in my left heel, can only limp around… taking double doses of magnesium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C; massaging with Deep heat and Voltaren; foot rolling on a massage ball and a grooved wood roller; sleeping with both legs elevated — and still experiencing hot pain on waking and only able to limp-walk slowly, until I searched and found this “diagonal” calf stretch method — and the rationale behind it — from Athlean-X. Even the first time I performed it, the pain was immediately much less, and the feeling of relief was fantastic. Walking almost back to normal now — thank you so much Jeff — best advice ever! — Steve, Taupo, New Zealand

[zabeth]

This man cares. I have seen more positive information from this video than from a doctor. Keep up the good work. The world needs more people like you.

[maddisonspikes]

I did these stretches for only two days almost a month ago. I just realized today that I haven't been doing them since, because I haven't had any pain. I'm on my feet all day and have tried many ways to resolve this pain. This tutorial is gold.

[claresole]

Had planter fasciitis years ago and it came back recently. I've taking up hiking and I've been struggling. Did the excerises for two days and foot felt fantastic. Day 3 today woke up and did the excerises before heading out on a 4 mile hike. But within two hours of being home I've got the heel pain back again.

Two weeks on. I have to say, I'm not waking with pain or tenderness in heal. Today's hike up Pen-Y-Fan and I have no discomfort. So these three excerises really do work!
So thank-you

[jeffwhite]

I looked at several treatments and they all worked temporarily. I watched this video and gave it a try. I had no more problems with plantar fasciitis after a week and a half.

[stevehalmhofer]

Ok, after 4 months of what I thought was a bruised heal, literally only 1 minute of the calf stretch exercise and now pain free! And I don’t even think I was doing 100% correctly. You sir are storing rewards in Heaven.

[FC-xczy]

This guy is saving my life. He cured my back pains and now my ankle pains. Interestingly, I stopped doing his recommended exercises for back pain and then ended up with acute foot problems because I no longer had much back pain. . He saved me again by showing me my mistakes . Much love Jeff. You are far better than most doctors.

[rajjai]

That's twice Jeff... I came here after seeing your lower back video and I wanted to share a similar comment/experience: After 7 months of heel pain and multiple appointments (Podiatry, shock-wave therapy, acupuncture, massage) and buying insoles; totalling hundreds of pounds, I'm feeling more relief from these stretches. This video in conjunction with another YouTuber have really helped me. Thank you again! If I could leave you a digital tip, I would

[Deviljoske]

As a standing security guard my plantar fasciitis was so bad! Excruciating! I couldn't walk without limping. I started these stretches along with psoas release stuff and after about 3 weeks the pain was completely gone and I can now immediately jump out of bed again without pain.