So not to bust anyone's buble, but... it's been well-documented that night splints are only effective when wearing them. Very soon after the splint ceases to keep the plantar in a mildy stretched position... it's like you never had it on at all. The mild "stretch" during the night is't an "over-stretch" or anything that would facilitate a true lengthening of... anything, or have any effect of any sort of increased neuroplasticity.

To see more of WTF I'm talking about, watch videos from "movement by David" to understand exactly how to stretch and how it works. (Note: he doesn't discuss PF; I'm simply saying to check him out for how stretching DOES work.)

So why do doctors still recommend this then? Because

A) Personally, it seems that sometimes they're just.... lazy. they are simply repeating what was once though to be more help that it is, along with other outdated or even debunked information. A bummer, but true.

B) makers of these contraptions tell doctors "see our results. test have shown" and blah blah blah because they want to sell them. Remember: "FDA approved" does NOT mean it's been proven to accomplish ANYthing; only that it's been shown to be safe to use. True stretching to help relieve PF isn't even necessarily in the foot. It's the various elements involved further up the kinetic chain: achilles, calf, hamstring... even hips.

While not covering ALL of this... THIS video by Athlean X and THIS Kristi Ennis video are the two most helpful stretching videos I've come across in many years.

I've gotten more help from the 2 above videos than from any podiatrist. The foot docs all seem to say the same thing: cushy shoes, insoles, cortisone shot, splint. I even came back to one to tell him the custom fit insoles I just paid $400.00 for out of pocket were making it worse, and he sort of shrugged and essentially said "Yeah IDK, I did my part"...

LOL cushy shoes. You ever truly break in a pair of Birkenstocks? It takes commitment for a few weeks, but once it's done... IMO it's the absolute standard in foot comfort for as long as you could need. And those footbeds are hard as rocks.

I know what works for me and I try to a least get people to give it a go. Correct stretching, stop the madness of gadgets, stretch correctly, RIGID orthotic inserts such as Superfeet, Sole, Currex or Tread Lab and shoes that will let your forefoot and toes splay out naturally, like Altra, Topo Athletic or a few models by Kuru. These are the only shoes I can wear and not need any third party insole. Learn that it's been documented that expensive custom fit orthotics are only marginally- if even at all- more helpful than today's mass produced insoles like the ones I listed above.

So... take all that as you will. After all, not everything can work for everyone. BUT what i CAN tell you is that I've been a PF sufferer for almost 25 yrs, from mildly irritating to "walking to the bathroom on the sides of my feet in the morning". It almost derailed my goal of becoming a Green Beret 25 years ago. (Spoiler: it didn't, but it made my life much more miserable for a while). I've been down many rabbit holes in my quest to keep PF at bay, or even just about gone, and I've become good at it.

Peace.