Plantar fasciitis pain lasts for how many days?

Written by Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
Updated on May 11, 2025
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The duration of pain associated with plantar fasciitis varies from person to person. During the acute phase, severe pain may last for one to two weeks. If physical therapy and oral medication are promptly applied, the intensity of the pain can be significantly reduced, generally seeing improvement and relief after about 3 to 7 days. If the pain does not show significant improvement after more than three days of the above treatment, local trigger point injections can be considered, typically once a week for a total of 2 to 4 sessions, which can also yield good pain relief results. However, it is still advisable to avoid excessive weight-bearing activities afterwards to prevent recurrence.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Can plantar fasciitis be treated with moxibustion?

Plantar fasciitis can be alleviated by moxibustion to relieve foot pain, but solely relying on moxibustion may not be very effective. In treating plantar fasciitis, it's important first to understand that the main causes of the condition are excessive loading, over-exertion, and degeneration of the fascia due to aging. The primary treatment for this condition is rest, avoiding excessive exertion. At the same time, other treatments such as shock wave therapy, acupuncture, or local injections can also be utilized. If conservative treatments have been applied for over six months without relief of pain, or if the pain gradually worsens, surgery may be needed to provide relief.

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Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
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Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

Regarding the causes of plantar fasciitis, the most common cause observed clinically is prolonged and excessive weight-bearing walking. Local excessive stimulation, exposure to cold, or trauma can also trigger plantar fasciitis. The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in the sole of the foot. The methods to manage it include reducing local stimuli. For a period of time in the near future, try to avoid weight-bearing walking as much as possible, persist in using topical Chinese herbal medicines that invigorate the blood and dispel stasis which are boiled and then used for fumigation washing daily. Oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications, and blood-activating stasis-dispelling medications should be taken for treatment. Topical plasters that invigorate the blood and dispel stasis can also be used locally. Gradually, recovery will be achieved.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Can you still exercise with plantar fasciitis?

Patients with plantar fasciitis can exercise, but there are definite restrictions on the type of exercise. For instance, it is best to avoid weight-bearing exercises such as running, weightlifting, or mountain climbing. For patients with plantar fasciitis, we recommend swimming because it involves limb, muscle, and fascia activities in a non-weight-bearing situation, which is greatly beneficial and not harmful to the fascia. Swimming is our recommended approach, as it can also appropriately stretch the plantar fascia during the process, thereby helping to alleviate foot pain.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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How should plantar fasciitis be treated?

For the treatment of plantar fasciitis, there are currently two approaches used in clinical practice: The first is conservative treatment, which mainly includes rest, local injections, electrotherapy, magnet therapy, and the use of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic plasters, as well as plasters that activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis to alleviate pain in the sole of the foot. Additionally, foot muscle stretching exercises can be performed at home to help relieve the symptoms of plantar fascia pain. However, if conservative treatment is ineffective for over six months, or if the pain worsens progressively and severely affects your daily weight-bearing activities, then surgical treatment may be necessary. The goals of surgical treatment are to release the plantar fascia, reduce chronic inflammation in the area, and possibly remove heel spurs, thereby alleviating the pain in the sole of the foot.

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Written by Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
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How is plantar fasciitis diagnosed?

The diagnosis of plantar fasciitis relies on the doctor's physical examination, the patient's symptoms, and imaging tests which serve as auxiliary examinations. These tests help to rule out other conditions such as bone spurs or osteoarthritis, as well as other abnormal lesions. Once these possibilities are excluded, a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis can be made. Typically, there are specific tender points on the foot, which could be singular or multiple. Improvements can often be achieved through appropriate measures such as heat application, physical therapy, rest, and, if necessary, electrical stimulation or pain point injection treatment. However, excessive weight-bearing activities could potentially lead to a recurrence of the symptoms in the later stages.