Plantar fasciitis stretches and exercises that are backed by evidence

Stretching is the foundation of treatment for plantar fasciitis, and it costs nothing.^[5] But not all stretches are equal, and the way you do them matters. Here are the exercises that have actually been tested in clinical trials, and how to do them.

1. The plantar fascia stretch (the one to do first)

This stretch targets the plantar fascia directly, and it’s the one with the strongest evidence.

1. Sit down and cross your painful foot over your other knee.
2. Grab your toes and pull them back toward your shin until you feel a stretch in the arch.
3. With your other hand, feel the tight band along your arch to check it’s stretched.
4. Hold for 10 seconds; repeat 10 times.
5. Do it at least three times a day, including before your first steps in the morning and before standing up after sitting for a while.

In a well-known trial, people with chronic plantar fasciitis who did this stretch had better results at eight weeks than those who did a calf stretch, and at two years most were satisfied and had less pain.^[1] A meta-analysis also found moderate-quality evidence that plantar-fascia stretching reduced pain more than calf stretching.^[2]

2. Calf stretches

A tight calf increases the pull on the heel, so calf stretches are worth adding.

• Wall stretch (straight knee): stand facing a wall, painful foot behind, heel flat and knee straight. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the upper calf. Hold 30 seconds, three times.
• Bent-knee version: same position, but bend the back knee slightly to stretch the lower calf and Achilles.

3. Heel raises with a towel (strengthening)

This is the exercise from a randomized trial in which a strengthening program beat daily stretching at three months.^[3]

1. Stand on a step on your painful foot, with a rolled towel under your toes so they’re pulled upward.
2. Hold a rail for balance. Rise slowly onto your toes over 3 seconds, pause for 2, and lower over 3 seconds.
3. Start with 3 sets of 12, every other day. Add weight in a backpack as it gets easier, so the sets stay hard.

It should feel like work, but it shouldn’t sharply increase your pain. If it does, drop the extra weight or do it on both feet.

4. Rolling and toe exercises

• Roll your arch over a frozen water bottle or a firm ball for a few minutes, especially after activity.
• Towel curls: scrunch a towel toward you with your toes, to work the small muscles of the foot.

These haven’t been studied as thoroughly, but they’re easy and many people find them soothing.

How long until it works?

Expect gradual improvement over six to eight weeks, with continued progress over months. Keep going even when it starts to feel better.^[1] In one trial, a plantar-fascia stretching program did better than low-energy shockwave therapy as the very first treatment, which shows how much the basics can do.^[4]

When to add more

If you’ve done these exercises consistently for six to eight weeks along with better shoes and inserts, and the pain isn’t clearly improving, other treatments can help, including custom orthotics and shockwave therapy. See our heel pain and plantar fasciitis page, and why heel pain is worst in the morning.

When to see a podiatrist