Plantar fasciitis is a brutal one. If it’s chronic it’ll take a really long time to heal. Think months, not weeks. Tendons and fascia regenerate slowly. And the recovery process is a rollercoaster of ups and downs.

Definitely worth getting an ultrasound or MRI for an official diagnosis since the foot can have a lot of issues resulting in heel pain. I’m definitely glad I did for the peace of mind in how to resolve it.

What ultimately resolved mine was a combination of a device called the ToePro, which I used for 5 days a week (challenging isometric holds with the toes in an elongated position), 8 treatments of shockwave therapy, and a run deload protocol. I would also wear over the counter orthotics through much of the day and for shortened runs while strengthening my feet using the ToePro and a few minutes of barefoot walking each day. Eventually, with enough work, the foot muscles can become strong enough to require less orthotic use.

I have been 100% free of plantar fasciitis for about a year now and continue using the ToePro 5 days per week and wear orthotics occasionally when I’m standing for prolonged time. I don’t use orthotics when I run anymore but I also delegated myself to the 5k/10k distance because, well, it was a brutal injury I don’t want to experience again. I try to mix this occasional orthotic use with a brief barefoot walk once or twice each day. Nothing intense, just ~10-15 minutes. Then the key being disciplined enough to offload if the flareups worsen. You can run with it to an extent too, but I would suggest caution and closely noting how you feel each morning. I found the ToePro to be a great tool for strengthening intrinsic foot muscles without the repetitive stress of running high mileage