8 Signs Your Plantar Fasciitis Is Healing

If you’re reading this, chances are you or someone you know has experienced plantar fasciitis. The morning heel pain, the stabbing point right below your heels, and the achy arches are all too familiar.

Just as it is important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment for this condition, it’s also vital to understand signs plantar fasciitis is healing. That way you can know when it’s okay to return to certain activities and follow a sustainable maintenance plan to help prevent the condition from reoccurring.

So let’s dig in! Read on to learn about plantar fasciitis, how long plantar fasciitis lasts, plantar fasciitis recovery time, and eight signs of plantar fasciitis healing.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue underneath our feet—our plantar fascia. Repeated stress on our plantar fascia can lead to tightness, inflammation, and micro-tears. This overuse results in the characteristic symptom of plantar fasciitis: heel pain.

A classic symptom of plantar fasciitis is a stabbing pain or dull ache under the heel. Since fascia tends to tighten during the night while we sleep, plantar fasciitis heel pain often peaks during the first few steps in the morning. Pain can also extend through the arch of the foot since the plantar fascia connects from heel to toe.

To diagnose plantar fasciitis, it’s best to see your family doctor, a podiatrist, or an orthopedist. Your doctor will create a unique treatment plan for you, which often includes rest and ice (in its acute phase), stretches, strengthening exercises, and supportive footwear.

Factors That Contribute to Plantar Fasciitis

While plantar fasciitis can happen to anyone, there are a few factors that increase our risk of developing the condition.

If the below factors apply to you, you can reduce your risk of getting plantar fasciitis in any situation by always wearing high-quality supportive footwear, rolling out your feet on a tennis ball or lacrosse ball daily, and adding foot strengthening exercises to your routine.

• Age. Plantar fasciitis is most common in those ages 40–60. This condition can be exacerbated by excessive activity on your feet, and this age group tends to have many commitments keeping them on their feet. Be sure to wear supportive footwear to get you through your activity-packed days.
• Physical activity level. Fascia requires consistent movement to stay healthy, but too much can cause it to seize up. If you are less active, be sure you exercise the recommended 150 minutes per week advised by the surgeon general. If you are very active, be sure to rest, stretch, and strengthen your fascia to keep it robust and healthy.
• High arches. Those with high arches have an increased risk of developing plantar fasciitis. Since a high arch has less contact with the ground, there is more force put on the surrounding fascia, muscles and tendons to keep the arch supported. Wearing supportive footwear can help keep arches relaxed and healthy.
• Walking on hard surfaces. Hard surfaces are a pain magnet for plantar fasciitis. Even just a few minutes of barefoot walking on tile, concrete, or hardwood can make your fascia work overtime, leading to tightness and inflammation. That’s why it’s extra important to wear sturdy, supportive shoes on hard surfaces—like ATOM 2, which is built to cushion impact and support your arch with every step.
• Occupations requiring prolonged standing. Those who work on their feet all day may notice tightness in their arches and calves, pain in the heels, and even lower back. Fascia works extra hard while standing and walking, so be sure to take rest breaks and wear supportive footwear to help you last on your feet.
• Improper footwear. Worn down or unsupportive footwear can make all foot problems worse, including plantar fasciitis. Most footwear doesn’t have the proper support or insole shape to help support the arch and absorb shock. Be sure to choose a pair of high-quality supportive shoes to help keep plantar fasciitis at bay.
• Previous injuries. Physical injuries or trauma—such as ankle sprains or foot surgery—can impact surrounding fascia, contributing to the onset of plantar fasciitis. A physical therapy program following injury will help return your body to a healthy state.
• Arthritis. Osteoarthritis refers to the breaking down of joints and cartilage over time. This condition can also wear down other tissues in the body, contributing to the development of foot pain conditions such as plantar fasciitis.
• Diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes include reduced circulation in the body. This lack of blood flow—often especially noticeable in the lower limbs—can reduce healing time, leading to foot pain conditions such as plantar fasciitis.
• Obesity. Having excess weight on our bodies can lead to increased pressure on our fascia with each step, leading to irritation and inflammation of the fascia. Maintaining a healthy weight for your body type can help reduce symptoms.

Signs of Plantar Fasciitis Recovery

Now that we’ve reviewed plantar fasciitis symptoms and risk factors—let’s find out: does plantar fasciitis go away? In other words, can plantar fasciitis be cured? Yes, it absolutely can, as long as proper treatment and a consistent maintenance plan are maintained.

Let’s take a look at eight signs plantar fasciitis is healing.

1. Reduced Morning Pain

Heel pain when you first get out of bed is one of the most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis. If that sharp, first-step pain starts to fade, it's a strong sign of healing plantar fasciitis.

Why is this the case? As we sleep, our fascia layer naturally tightens up. Tight fascia pulls on the surrounding bones, tendons, and ligaments, causing pain along those attachment points. This is why heel pain is a common symptom of plantar fasciitis, even though the plantar fascia extends through the whole foot.

When fascia tightens overnight through already tight plantar fascia, it can make symptoms worse. So reduced morning pain is a clear sign that you have healing plantar fasciitis.

2. Improved Foot Flexibility

Tight fascia can limit range of motion and cause stiffness in your feet and calves. As flexibility returns, it indicates healthier fascia and better mobility. Keep up with calf and plantar fascia stretches to support this progress.

To continue to develop and maintain flexible, healthy fascia, be sure to consistently practice foot and calf stretches. Since the calf and Achilles tendon are connected to the plantar fascia, flexibility in those muscles and tendons is vital to maintaining healthy fascia.

How to Stretch Your Calf:

1. Stand near a wall and take a lunge position, placing one foot about two feet in front of the other.
2. Keep both feet flat and facing forward.
3. Bend your front knee while keeping your back leg straight.
4. Lean forward gently until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg.
5. Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch sides.

How to Stretch Your Plantar Fascia:

1. Sit comfortably in a chair.
2. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
3. Use your hand to gently pull your toes back toward your shin.
4. Keep the rest of your foot still as you stretch.
5. Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat on the other foot.

You can find more examples stretches for plantar fascia here.

3. Decreased Swelling and Inflammation

Swelling and redness are signs of acute inflammation—your body’s response to injury. If that swelling starts to go down, it's a sign your body is moving out of the initial injury phase and into healing.

To reduce swelling and acute inflammation, a tried and true method is the R.I.C.E. method, or rest, ice, compression, and elevation. As long as you have swelling and pain, be sure to rest and ice the foot while putting the foot above your heart (elevation) and compressing the affected area with either compression socks or an ace bandage.

4. Enhanced Strength in Foot Muscles

Stronger foot muscles take pressure off the plantar fascia and support healthier movement. If you're following a recovery plan with regular exercises, you should start to notice an increase in foot strength within about six weeks to three months.

Improved strength is a strong sign you're on the path to healing—and it can help prevent future flare-ups, too.

A few simple exercises you can add to your routine are towel scrunches, doming, and heel raises. Always check with a doctor or physical therapist for the best exercise treatment plan for you.

5. Less Pain During Activities

As you heal from plantar fasciitis, watch for your ability to do more on your feet with less pain. Perhaps you can walk farther, have a longer gym session, or experience less pain while standing on your tile floor kitchen or bathroom. These are other signs you’re healing from plantar fasciitis.

6. Positive Feedback from Medical Assessments

One crystal clear sign plantar fasciitis is healing is positive feedback from any doctors or physical therapists you’re seeing. Medical professionals will know how to best evaluate your progress and may perform tests that indicate where you are in your healing journey.

A doctor's or physical therapist’s care is often a vital component to full recovery. They will be able to critically assess your unique situation, risk factors, foot type, and activity levels to determine the best course of action for your treatment and maintenance plan.

Some common tests and assessments doctors can do include a pain test by assessing tenderness at the heel and an ultrasound or MRI to determine tissue health.

7. Reduced Reliance on Pain Relievers

Another clear sign of recovery is needing pain medication less often—or not at all. As your plantar fasciitis improves, you may find that natural methods like rest, ice, rolling out your feet, and wearing supportive footwear are enough to manage pain.

In the early stages, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or even steroid injections from a physical therapist might have been necessary. But as healing progresses, your need for these tends to decrease.

8. Improved Gait and Posture

A return to a natural stride and upright posture is a strong sign your plantar fasciitis is improving. As the pain subsides, you may notice you're walking heel-to-toe again, pushing off the ball of your foot, and standing taller without limping or hesitation.

In the early stages of plantar fasciitis, foot pain often leads to compensations like limping, hunched posture, or avoiding full weight-bearing on the affected foot. Over time, these changes can impact your knees, hips, or even your back—so regaining normal movement is a big step forward in your recovery.

How Long Does Plantar Fasciitis Last?

When treated, plantar fasciitis healing time can last anywhere from 6 weeks to a few months—even up to one year. When left untreated, plantar fasciitis can become a chronic condition that does not improve and can limit the ability to participate in a variety of weight-bearing activities, including day-to-day walking.

How long does plantar fasciitis take to heal? In most treatment methods, plantar fasciitis treatment typically lasts at least six weeks up to six months.

Factors that can affect plantar fasciitis recovery time include consistent completion of stretches and exercises and wearing supportive footwear.

How to Speed Up Plantar Fasciitis Healing

• Physical therapy. A treatment plan from a physical therapist often involves stretches, strengthening exercises, and other modalities to help relieve pain and promote healing.
• Regular tissue massage. Consistent massage of the calves and bottoms of the feet can help release tight muscles and fascia and increase blood flow to the area to encourage faster healing.
• Wearing supportive footwear. To help heal plantar fasciitis more quickly, wearing supportive footwear is a must. A shoe like QUANTUM 2 is designed to lift and support the arches while cradling the heel—helping maintain proper foot alignment and delivering lasting pain relief.
• Rolling out feet on tennis or lacrosse ball. A very effective at-home method, rolling out the bottoms of the feet can help stretch and condition the fascia, reducing its pull on surrounding muscles and tendons and relieving pain.
• Icing. An ideal treatment for reducing inflammation, plantar fasciitis can be iced 2–3x per day, or up to every few hours. Adding an icing regimen to your treatment plan can help plantar fasciitis heal faster.
• Stretching. Regularly stretching the plantar fascia can also help it heal. Plantar fascia can become tight and irritated when inflamed, so gentle stretches of pulling the toes up and calf stretches can help alleviate symptoms.
• Relative rest. The feet need breaks—especially when they are experiencing plantar fasciitis. To help plantar fasciitis heal more quickly, limit any activities that cause pain.

Consequences of Leaving Plantar Fasciitis Untreated

Leaving plantar fasciitis untreated can worsen symptoms over time, leading to even more painful conditions, such as plantar tears, heel spurs, back pain, and even a reduced ability to walk.

As soon as you begin to experience tell-tale signs of plantar fasciitis, such as stabbing morning heel pain, aching heels or arches, and extra tight calves and Achilles tendons, it’s time to visit your doctor.

A timely diagnosis and treatment plan by a podiatrist or physical therapist is a vital way to reduce symptoms and make a quicker recovery.

Heel Better™ With KURU

Now that you’ve learned the signs plantar fasciitis is healing, we want to help you get fully healed.

At KURU, we exist to eliminate foot pain by engineering footwear uniquely designed to hug and protect your heels. We believe our ultra-supportive women’s shoes for plantar fasciitis are the perfect footwear to help alleviate plantar fasciitis symptoms.

Every pair is engineered with our patented heel-hugging technology that dynamically flexes with each step to protect the heels, leading to lasting pain relief. The dual-density insole curves with the foot and supports the arch while springy EVA foam cushions from underneath.

We offer a wide range of women’s and men’s shoes for plantar fasciitis, from sneakers to boots, sandals to slippers—all with pain-relieving tech built in, so you can heal from plantar fasciitis and live the life you love.

Sourcing

• Plantar Fasciitis. National Center for Biotechnology Information (May 2022)
• Plantar fasciitis - Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic (September 2023)
• Case Study - Plantar fasciitis following ankle sprain injury. Sydney Heel Pain (2016)
• Foot Pain and Psoriatic Arthritis. Arthritis and Foot Pain Associates
• Evaluation and Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis. National Center for Biotechnology Information (February 2020)
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Health.gov (2018)
• Foot Pain Trends Report 2025. KURU Footwear (March 2025)

About Us

At KURU, we're on a mission to help you Heel Better™ with footwear technology designed to relieve foot pain, so you can live a life you love. Since launching our innovative technology in 2008, we’ve received more than 39,000 five-star reviews from thousands of customers who tell us their KURU shoes helped them get back to doing what they love.

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