Deep-Dive FAQs

The priority is always the foot you have pain in.

However, I would usually recommend completing the exercises on both feet for two main reasons:

• Your unaffected side will often tolerate more force because your walking and movement patterns change to take pressure off the painful side. Over time, this can increase the load your other side is exposed to.
• You do not want to develop the same problem on the other foot. I sometimes see people develop plantar fascia pain in both feet, and it is not fun at all.

If you have time, complete the movements on both sides.

It depends.

For many people who follow the right plan, symptoms can significantly improve in 4-8 weeks.

But true regeneration of the plantar fascia, and therefore ongoing recovery, can take 3-6 months.

That’s why consistency is key. This programme helps you stay on track through each phase of healing, while minimising the guesswork.

In short: no.

Rest might give you temporary relief, but it does not solve the problem. Your plantar fascia can become less tolerant when it is not loaded properly, which often makes it more sensitive when you return to walking or normal activity.

The answer is to find your Goldilocks Zone™: the right level of load that helps your foot adapt without flaring up.

That is exactly what the programme helps you track and adjust.

Sometimes, but they are not a long-term fix.

Insoles can help offload the plantar fascia during a flare-up. But if you rely on them without strengthening the foot and ankle, they can make you more dependent over time.

Think of them as a short-term support while you build capacity, not as the thing that fixes the problem on its own.

Inside the programme, use the Rapid Relief™ Toolkit, Insoles Guide and Footwear Guide to help decide when they are useful and when to reduce reliance.

It might feel good temporarily, but aggressive stretching often makes things worse.

The plantar fascia responds best to controlled loading, not being repeatedly pulled, compressed or irritated.

That is why this programme focuses on progressive strengthening through range, rather than aggressive stretching.

Gentle mobility work can be useful in the right context, especially if ankle stiffness is contributing, but it should not replace the strengthening plan.

Supportive shoes with cushioning and structure are usually best while symptoms are reactive.

In general, avoid suddenly switching to barefoot shoes, minimalist shoes or ultra-flexible soles during the early stages of recovery.

The goal is not to find a magic shoe. The goal is to choose footwear that helps you stay active while you rebuild the strength and capacity of your foot.

Use the Ultimate Footwear Guide inside the programme for more detailed recommendations, including summer shoes, wet weather walking, work shoes and returning to running.

That classic “first step” pain usually happens because the tissues have been unloaded overnight and feel stiff, sensitive and unprepared for load first thing in the morning.

The first few steps after a long period of rest can trigger the nervous system to sound the alarm, which registers as pain.

As you begin to move, the alarm often settles and walking gets easier. But if you exceed your current capacity later in the day, the pain can build again.

Try to avoid pain exceeding 4/10 during this phase. With the right daily movements and load management, morning pain is often one of the first things people notice improving.

That is really common.

It usually means you are stuck in a boom-and-bust cycle: doing too much on good days, then crashing on bad ones.

The key is to stop using pain-free moments as permission to suddenly do loads more. Instead, use the Goldilocks Zone™ Tracker to find your daily sweet spot and gradually increase your tolerance without triggering repeated flare-ups.

Yes.

Even chronic plantar fasciopathy can respond to the right type of stimulus.

I have seen people improve after years, and even decades, of symptoms. The key is following the right plan and sticking with it long enough for the tissue to adapt.

If that is your story, this programme was built with you in mind.

My professional perspective:

Electrotherapies, such as shockwave, ultrasound, laser, iontophoresis or TENS, are often marketed as solutions for plantar fasciopathy. But when you look at the evidence, most of these tools are either unproven or only offer short-term relief.

That is why, in clinic, I focus on the Recovery Pyramid™: activity management, consistency, fuelling, biomechanical resilience and load progression. These elements have far stronger long-term value than relying on passive treatments alone.

What about shockwave?

Shockwave is the one modality with reasonably solid evidence.

• It may be effective compared with corticosteroid injection at around 3 months for pain, plantar fascia thickness and function.
• It can be well tolerated and may reduce plantar fascia thickness on imaging.
• Guidelines list shockwave as an adjunct option for persistent heel pain, but not as a replacement for rehab.

But here is the key:

• It is not essential. Most people can recover by getting the fundamentals right.
• It is not magic. Shockwave only makes sense if you are also loading the tissues correctly.
• The Recovery Pyramid™ still matters most. Graded loading, strength, pacing and recovery are the long-term foundations.
• It may be useful if you have a deadline. For example, a race, holiday or key sporting event where you want to throw the kitchen sink at it.

Other electrotherapies

• Ultrasound: Adding ultrasound to a good conservative plan does not appear to improve outcomes compared with sham treatment.
• Laser / photobiomodulation: May reduce pain in the short to medium term, but studies are small and long-term evidence is limited.
• Iontophoresis: Can help short-term in some studies, but it is not a standalone fix.
• TENS / electrical stimulation: Mainly symptom-modulating, not corrective.

References mentioned

• Rathleff MS, et al. High-load strength training improves outcome in patients with plantar fasciitis. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2015.
• Riddle DL, et al. Risk factors for plantar fasciitis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2003.
• Morton RW, et al. Protein supplementation and resistance training-induced gains. Br J Sports Med. 2018.
• Hijlkema A, et al. Nutrition and tendinopathy: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2022.
• Martin RL, et al. Heel Pain-Plantar Fasciitis: Revision 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2023.
• Katzap Y, et al. Therapeutic ultrasound for plantar fasciitis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2018.