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Will Plantar Fasciitis go away on its own so you can go back to your morning walks without pain?

Will Plantar Fasciitis Go Away on Its Own?

Luke Ferdinands

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Plantar Fasciitis can sneak up on you. One day, you’re enjoying a morning jog or walking around the house, and the next, you’re wincing in pain with every step. If you’ve recently started experiencing Plantar Fasciitis pain in your arch or heel, you might be wondering: Will Plantar Fasciitis go away on its own? The short answer is—it depends, but in many cases, it takes active treatment. Let’s break down what that means and what you can do to make sure you’re not stuck with this pain for longer than necessary.

Will Plantar Fasciitis go away on its own?

If your symptoms just started within the last week or so, there’s a good chance that Plantar Fasciitis can go away on its own. In this acute stage, your body is in the early phases of dealing with the irritation and inflammation of the plantar fascia—the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot and supports your arch.

Taking advantage of the early stage

During this initial window of opportunity, taking immediate steps to rest and avoid activities that exacerbate your pain can be the difference between nipping Plantar Fasciitis in the bud and having it turn into a chronic condition.


Activities that involve a lot of stress on your feet, like running or standing for extended periods, worsen the irritation and lead to microtears in the tissue. This can cause scar tissue to form, if you keep pushing through pain - and scar tissue is harder to resolve. If you must be on your feet, wearing a foot brace for Plantar Fasciitis can help unload the irritated tissue and give your plantar fascia the time and space it needs to start healing.

The importance of rest and unloading

Rest is vital in this early phase. By reducing the load on your plantar fascia, you allow the inflammation to subside and give the tissue a chance to heal. However, rest alone isn’t a cure-all.


If your pain persists beyond the first week or so, typically, Plantar Fasciitis won’t go away on its own. At this point, you’ll need to take more active steps to manage and heal the condition.

In the very early stages, rest can make Plantar Fasciitis go away on its own

What happens if you don’t treat Plantar Fasciitis actively?

Let’s say you want to try to tough it out, hoping the pain will eventually subside on its own. Don't do it - this approach backfires. Here’s why:

Chronic pain and scar tissue formation

When left untreated, Plantar Fasciitis can become a chronic condition. The initial irritation and inflammation may subside, but as your body tries to heal, scar tissue forms on the plantar fascia. Scar tissue is weaker than healthy tissue, making it more susceptible to damages from your day-to-day activities. This is why the pain that subsides with initial rest often comes back as flare-ups when you return to activity.

When left untreated, scar tissue forms on the plantar fascia

The rest-resume-pain cycle

Many people find themselves caught in a cycle where rest temporarily relieves the pain, only for it to return as soon as they resume normal activities. This cycle can be frustrating and disheartening, as it feels like you’re never making real progress. Over time, this rest-resume-pain cycle leads to a decrease in your plantar fascia’s ability to tolerate physical activity, making the condition even harder to manage.

Compensation and secondary issues

When you’re in pain, it’s natural to adjust your posture or gait to avoid discomfort as much as you can. However, these compensations can cause problems in other parts of your body. For example, you might start putting more weight on the outside of your foot or altering your stride, which can lead to issues in your knees, hips, or back. These secondary problems can become just as troublesome as the original Plantar Fasciitis.

Bone spurs and long-term damage

In some cases, untreated Plantar Fasciitis can lead to the formation of bone spurs near the heel. These bony growths develop as your body tries to protect the inflamed area, but they can cause additional pain and discomfort. Bone spurs can take years to develop and may require surgical intervention to remove.

The biggest problem: not being able to live your life to the fullest

Perhaps the most significant impact of untreated Plantar Fasciitis is the way it disrupts your life. If you’re someone who enjoys running, hiking, or even just walking around the neighborhood, chronic foot pain takes away those very activities you love. It’s not just about the physical discomfort—it’s about losing the ability to engage in the things that bring you joy, connection, satisfaction, even meaning.

Plantar Fasciitis pain causes discomfort and takes away your ability to enjoy physical activity

More than anything, this is at the heart of who we are at Alleviate. We exist to bring the effective treatment methodology of physical therapy to your home, so you can take control of your condition and live life to the fullest.

Does Plantar Fasciitis ever go away?

All of this doesn't mean you'll never get over Plantar Fasciitis. You can make it go away. Even if your Plantar Fasciitis is solidly in the chronic stage, with the right treatment and consistent effort, you can make full resolution happen. For most people, recovery isn’t a straight path. You might have setbacks and moments of frustration, but with consistency, you can regain control over your foot health.

The Alleviate Method: a PT-driven approach to recovery

To achieve lasting recovery, at Alleviate, we use a comprehensive treatment model that addresses the root causes of Plantar Fasciitis. We call it the Alleviate Method. Developed by a seasoned physical therapist, this method incorporates three key pillars, which are the easiest to follow with our Plantar Fasciitis System 2:

The Alleviate Method is a great way to manage Plantar Fasciitis pain

1) Load Management

As we’ve discussed, managing the load on your plantar fascia is crucial. This involves not only rest but also modifying your activities to avoid overloading the tissue. We emphasize staying active as you heal - so that you don’t lose the capacity to deal with the load. To relieve pain, reduce the load, and stay active, wear a Plantar Fasciitis brace like the Loft 2 Brace that lifts the arch and unloads the plantar fascia.

2) Soft Tissue Mobilization

To heal the damage and scar tissue that has developed, you’ll need to incorporate techniques like deep tissue massage or manual therapy. Soft tissue mobilization helps break down scar tissue and promote the growth of healthy, strong tissue that won’t break down under the stress of your everyday activities. We designed Arch Massager, our best-seller and our first invention, specifically as a foot massager for Plantar Fasciitis to make it easy for anyone to replicate the professional soft tissue mobilization work at home.

3) Progressive Strengthening

Building strength in your foot and lower leg muscles is essential for preventing future flare-ups. Eccentric exercises that target the intrinsic muscles of the foot, as well as the calves and ankles, increase the capacity of your whole kinetic chain to handle the stresses of daily activities. This relieves the load your plantar fascia has to carry, and acts as a foundational defense against flare-ups. Our Plantar Fasciitis Guided Recovery Program takes 15 minutes out of your day to build the strength back through these Plantar Fasciitis exercises

What should you do to make Plantar Fasciitis go away?

One of the most challenging aspects of treating Plantar Fasciitis yourself is staying consistent. Recovery can be slow, and it’s easy to get discouraged when the pain doesn’t go away as quickly as you’d like. However, the key to success is perseverance. Even if progress feels slow, every step you take toward healing is a step in the right direction. (Here are our 5 strategies for when it feels like your Plantar Fasciitis isn’t getting better at all - use them!)

If you want to make Plantar Fasciitis go away, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Nip It in the Bud : If you’ve just started experiencing heel or arch pain, don’t wait. Rest, use a Plantar Fasciitis foot brace, and avoid activities that exacerbate your symptoms.

  2. Seek Active Treatment : If your pain persists beyond the first week or two, it’s time to get proactive. Incorporate the Alleviate Method into your daily routine to address the root causes of your condition.

  3. Stay Consistent : Healing an injury takes time. Stick with your treatment plan, even when progress feels slow. Your persistence will pay off in the long run. Bonus point: join the Alleviate Community to connect with others working on the same condition, share tips, and keep your motivation strong.

  4. Avoid the Rest-Resume-Pain Cycle : Don’t fall into the trap of resting until the pain goes away, only to wince in pain again when jumping back into your usual activities. Gradually reintroduce physical activity as your foot heals, and make sure you’re strengthening the muscles that support your plantar fascia.

Plantar Fasciitis is a painful but manageable condition. While Plantar Fasciitis can go away on its own in the very early stages, most people will need to take a more active role in their recovery. By understanding what Plantar Fasciitis is and committing to a comprehensive Plantar Fasciitis treatment, you can make Plantar Fasciitis go away and get back to doing the things you love.


Don’t let foot pain control your life—take control of your recovery with Alleviate!

Key Takeaways for your recovery

Acute Plantar Fasciitis Can Go Away On Its Own: Within the first week of symptoms, make sure to unload the injured tissue with a good arch support brace and take a break from activities that triggers pain. This may be enough for it to heal.

Chronic Plantar Fasciitis Needs Active Treatment: For pain that persists more than a week or two, use the Alleviate Method to treat the tissue damage and resolve the root cause of the pain. At this stage, Plantar Fasciitis won't go away on its own.

Rest-Resume-Pain Cycle: Many people with Plantar Fasciitis get stuck in this frustrating cycle. Incorporate progressive strengthening exercises, so that your weakened tissue can take on the load of your favorite activities for the long term.

Bring home the Plantar Fasciitis treatment that works

Alleviate was founded by a patient-and-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our Plantar Fasciitis System 2, that includes the Guided Recovery Program, you can use the Alleviate Method to recover from Plantar Fasciitis at home. No physical therapy appointments required!

Luke Ferdinands, physical therapist and Alleviate co-founder

Luke Ferdinands, Physical Therapist & Co-Founder


A New Zealand-trained physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, Luke developed the Alleviate Method to bring the gold standard of physical therapy care to everyone's home. Luke leads the development of physical tools and digital physical therapy content, focusing on driving clinical outcomes for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions like Tennis Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis, Runner's Knee, and more.