Why Is My Plantar Fascia Not Getting Better? #3 — Over Relying On Cushioning and Support

Struggling With Plantar Fasciitis That Won’t Heal?

If you’ve been battling plantar fascia pain (often called plantar fasciitis), you know how stubborn it can be. From the stabbing heel pain in the morning to the ache after walking or standing too long, it can feel like nothing you try really works.

This blog series aims to help you figure reasons why it's not getting better.. 

Why Over Relying on Cushioning and Support Has Kept Your Plantar Fascia Painful. 

This blog post isn’t here to hand you a magic cure it’s here to make you tilt your head, squint a little, and say, “Hmm… maybe that is worth thinking about.”

When I first started practicing, my go-to move was always the same: orthotics, softer shoes, more padding basically turning people’s feet into luxury hotel pillows. On the surface, it made perfect sense. If something hurts, cushion it! Easy, right?

But the more I thought about it, the more the maths didn’t math.

We aren’t born with shoes on. No newborn enters the world wearing tiny gel-infused sneakers. Human feet were designed to function, feel, and move without constant scaffolding. So adding more and more support started to feel like giving someone a neck brace because they didn’t want to hold their head up.

Then I asked myself a dangerous question:
What if the shoes and orthotics were part of the problem with Plantar Fascia Pain?

Modern shoes are basically foot prisons stiff, padded, and shaped in a way that squeezes your big toe like it's trying to merge it with the others. Every step becomes slightly unnatural, like walking around in a mild version of a moon boot. Over time, your foot muscles say, “Well… if the shoe is doing all the work, I guess we can retire,” and everything weakens.

That deconditioning is a huge contributor to plantar fascia pain. Orthotics may help short term, but long term they can keep your feet lazy like training wheels you never take off.

So what does this mean for someone with Plantar Fasciitis?

If orthotics helped your plantar fasciitis and you’re pain-free fantastic. Truly. Keep your win and enjoy life. Just know you may be dependent on them forever unless you retrain your foot mechanics.

But if your plantar fascia pain won’t get better, and cushioning hasn't fixed it, maybe it's time to look outside the shoe box and consider a different way forward. 

A simple starting point is my blog post on which shoes I recommend. As well as my blog post on the foot hip connection which talks about single leg balance as a great exercise to strengthen the feet and get the hips talking to the feet again.

Your feet are smart, sometimes they just need the right inputs!