1. The heel pain will get worse if you ignore it.
2. It is nearly impossible to say how long you will have plantar fasciitis for. This is because there are multiple factors that cause it, and each persons case is different.
3. Just because a shoe works for 99% of people with plantar fasciitis does not mean it will work for you. Everyone has different feet. Try on as many shoes as possible.
4. Graston/ART/ASTYM/Myofascial Release/Trigger Point Therapy/ESWT are the top paid treatments available as of right now (and obviously my book :).
5. Heel spurs do not cause pain!!! Click here to learn why
6. Sitting around all day will not help your pain. Swim/bike or anything. Keep moving!! If you cannot walk for twenty minutes, walk for ten. Do not give up. Sitting shrinks the glutes, hamstrings and calves and reduces blood flow into the pelvis and legs. One reason this condition is occurring more and more. We are all sitting too much and not moving.
7. Do not tiptoe. It causes more stress to the plantar fascia. If it is painful to tip toe, tape the foot.
8. Surgery causes more damage and usually does not help. Some people find relief with surgery, but it is not very common.
9. Taping is hard to learn. If you do not have pain relief from taping, you are not doing it right. Taping can give relief to nearly everyone with plantar fasciitis... if done correctly. Click here to watch my taping tutorial
10. You get what you pay for when it comes to athletic tape. Click here to see my favorite athletic tapes
11. Barefoot treatment can work for some of the heel pain sufferers, but for most, barefoot walking while the heel pain is present will make the pain worse. Click here to learn more
12. Cortisone= no more pain = no more healing!!! Which means weakness in the plantar fascia. Choose wisely.
13. If you have plantar fasciitis, you have trigger points. It is impossible to have pain in the heel without having trigger points. They are there and need to be dealt with.
14. Do not spend a ton of money on massage balls!!! Lacrosse balls are cheap and work wonders!
15. When a muscle has trigger points for over six weeks, scar tissue forms around the muscle (called crosslink adhesions), and it is much harder to get rid of the trigger point. The scar tissue also prevents the muscle from contracting properly and nutrient supply is hindered greatly. Which means SLOW HEALING. Get rid of trigger points first, then fix the cross link adhesions. Click here to see my trigger point tutorial video
16. Radial shockwave is a rip-off and does not help plantar fasciitis nearly as much as focused shockwave therapy. Click here to learn more
17. 600 dollar insoles are not as good as some of the 30 dollar ones. Click here to see what insole I recommend
18. Icing is a very “symptomatic” treatment. It lowers pain but does not help to actually fix the problem. It does lower metabolism, which slows healing.
19. Inflammation supplements should be used in combination with a healthy diet. Supplements work a million times better if your diet is solid. Click here to see my favorite nutritional supplements for heel pain relief.
20. Wooden foot rollers work much better than most cylinder objects around your house. Click here to see my favorite foot rollers
21. Your shoes must have a flexible sole where your big toe joint moves. If not you will have more pain. The rear portion of your shoes sole should be inflexible. From behind the toe joint to the heel. Click here to learn how to pick shoes for heel pain
22. Cushioned shoes do not help as much as a solid and supportive insole.
23. Most of the pain does not come from the plantar fascia, it comes from the trigger points and the surrounding tissues near the heel that become inflamed. Swelling also causes the whole heel to become hypersensitive to pain. Small pains become big ones when you have chronic plantar fasciitis.
24. Shoes should not cause more pain because the shoe specialist at the store says they have to “break in”. They should make your feet feel better the instant you put them on.
25. Do not become desperate and “test” if your plantar fasciitis is still there. You will become desperate and try things you shouldn’t because you are frustrated. Fight the urge!
26. Do not push it. If something hurts your heel (including your current career) you need to find a way to avoid it until the pain subsides.
27. Do not be fooled by treatments that cost a ton of money. One of the most advanced and effective tools is a ten dollar foot roller. (which can be found by clicking here)
28. Shoes cause plantar fasciitis. Click here to understand why.
29. Try shoes on at the shoe store, and then buy them online if you are on a budget. Click here to see my favorite heel pain shoes
30. Do not stand or walk “duck footed” (feet outward). This will externally rotate the lower leg bones and femur, causing the knees to collapse and the arches to fall, causing more stress to the plantar fascia. Keep feet pointed forward when standing/walking. Click here to learn more about proper walking form
31. Sugar=More Pain! Excess sugar in the blood gets attached to a protein molecule, which becomes a CIC (circulating immune complex), which becomes a mild inflammatory response, which causes your tissues to harden and unable to pass nutrients and wastes, which means slow healing times!!!