There’s a word we runners dread. It starts with an “F.” Well, actually a “P” and an “F.” Plantar Fasciitis.

Ugh. There is nothing quite like inflamed fascia on the bottom of our foot.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common running foot injuries and causes of heel pain … and I’ve got a minor case of it that I’ve been battling for a few months now. Luckily, it isn’t preventing me from running, but I’m ready to say adios to it. ASAP.

Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation in our plantar fascia, which is the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of our foot, connecting the toes to the heel. Every time we land on our feet it stretches, and every time we push off it contracts. Pulling and too much tension on the fascia can create inflammation … and hence, pain. Tight calf muscles can also be a culprit. When I was getting a sports massage a week ago, the therapist told me I had some of the tightest calves she’d ever worked on. Bingo!

Most people describe plantar fasciitis as causing an acute pain in the heel, with the worst pain often occurring in the morning just after getting out of bed. My case is not very painful in the morning, but rather it is worst after a long or intense run. It subsides fairly quickly, thankfully. The pain is generally on the inner side of the heel (which mine is) toward the center or farther up toward the arch.

Last week, I decided to attack my PF head-on with a trip to the drug store and more diligence throughout the day. Here’s what I’ve been doing to treat plantar fasciitis:

• Rolling my foot on a tennis ball every day to loosen up the fascia
• Foam rolling and stretching my calves daily.
• Icing my foot after a run (15 minutes at a time) – ideally you would do this about three times per day
• Getting a sports massage as often as possible (twice this month, including Graston on my foot and calves)
• Applying Tiger Balm (my new favorite thing!) to my foot and other sore spots
• Using kinesiology tape to ease the pain while I run – below is a good video I watched on YouTube to help me apply it correctly.

Sports medicine physician Dr. Jordan Metzel and the author of one of my favorite running injury prevention books Running Strong, also suggests a few tips for how to treat plantar fasciitis. I love his advice that you can typically continue running as long as your pain doesn’t change your running form:

• Find activities like pool running, biking, swimming or the elliptical machine that do not cause pain to stay active while you treat the inflammation in your plantar fascia.
• Pump your ankle up and down 10 to 15 times before getting out of bed every day to loosen your Achilles tendon and fascia before you stand.
• Wear shoes with good arch support first thing in the morning, and consider purchasing foot splints to wear while you sleep. Orthotics for your running shoes may also be helpful.
• See a sports doctor if your symptoms haven’t improved in two weeks.

Have you ever had plantar fasciitis? If so, how long did it last and what did you do to get rid of it?