Plantar fasciitis is a foot condition that, although common, can be extremely painful. It forms when the tissue at the bottom of each foot (the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed, causing a stabbing pain that is usually at its worst when first waking up.
Though the condition is more common in runners, the root cause of plantar fasciitis is still up for debate. You’re also more likely to experience plantar fasciitis if you’re overweight or work at a job where you’re always on your feet. Nevertheless, despite the mystery surrounding it, one in ten people will experience this specific type of foot pain.
Plantar fasciitis support is, therefore, crucial, as the condition can severely limit physical activity without the proper treatment. With that said, a form of kinesiology tape like KT Tape can help alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis and make it more comfortable for those with it to go about their daily lives.
Managing Plantar Fasciitis Pain
There are many ways to manage plantar fasciitis pain, and the method you choose will ultimately depend on how severe your pain is, how long you’ve had it, and which approach is most reasonable for your lifestyle.
Some health professionals tout over-the-counter (OTC) medication as a first-line treatment, given that pain relievers can temporarily ease the inflammation and pain associated with plantar fasciitis, but this may not be a sustainable solution for you, and it requires you to be on a consistent medication regimen.
Another common, albeit more severe, approach is a surgical procedure that involves cutting into part of the plantar fascia ligament to relieve swelling. While going in that direction could be a better long-term solution for some, for most, it’s both unnecessary and requires a lot of time off your feet to heal. According to the National Library of Medicine, doctors usually only suggest plantar fascia surgery as a last resort and say that only five percent of everyone diagnosed with the condition will ever need surgery at some point.
KT Tape, however, is an excellent blend of fast-acting relief and the long-term continuous care needed to rest and heal the plantar fascia effectively. It can help provide temporary pain relief, and reduce swelling. You can also use the tape with other solutions like insoles or OTC medications for even more benefits.
Benefits of Taping for Plantar Fasciitis
Here are some of the benefits of using KT Tape or similar athletic tape for plantar fasciitis as part of your relief plan:
Support the Area of Plantar Fasciitis Pain
Your plantar fascia are already strained; they don’t need any more force put on them than is necessary. Despite that, it’s hard to protect them when you go about your daily life. Some tasks and workouts require more movement, but too much movement will not only worsen the pain but also risk damaging the fascia further.
Improve Circulation
Circulation is vital for muscle recovery and rest, and taping can help blood get to the fascia a lot easier so your ligaments get everything they need to improve. The tape can also provide enough plantar fasciitis support to stabilize the ligaments so a more direct flow of oxygen and nutrients can easily find their way to the pain’s source.
Provides Foot Pain Relief
When one muscle or part of the foot is strained, other parts of the foot or body often have to compensate, which can lead to extra stress on other muscle groups. As such, kinesiology tape is an excellent means of taking some of the load off the rest of the foot, and KT Tape is ideal for many types of foot pain, including heel spurs, flat feet, and other types of arch pain.
Types of Taping Techniques
Now that you know how beneficial KT Tape is for foot relief, you’re likely curious to learn how to tape for plantar fasciitis in particular. There are multiple techniques you can use, so let’s look at each one to see which makes the most sense for your experience with plantar fasciitis.
First, you should decide which type of tape you’ll use. Most people opt for athletic tape, which — despite not being as breathable as kinesiology tape and can take longer to apply — can bring a lot of much-needed arch support. Kinesiology tape is the right choice if you need something easier to apply that is ultimately more comfortable.
As a rule, athletic tape is better for more severe cases or if you’ll be off your feet, while kinesiology tape is good for mild to moderate plantar fasciitis and is easier to wear when moving around.
How to Apply Kinesiology Tape for Plantar Fasciitis
With a better background on what tape to use and how it works in mind, here’s how you’ll want to apply kinesio tape for patellar tendonitis:
- STRIP ONE: Tear backing paper two inches from end to create starting anchor.
- STRIPS TWO & THREE: Tear backing paper two inches from end to create starting anchor.
ALL COLORS of KT Tape® are designed to perform equally
BEFORE YOU START:
- APPLY BEFORE ACTIVITY Apply one hour before beginning activity
- CLEAN SKIN Clean dirt, oils and lotions from area with rubbing alcohol
- ACTIVATE ADHESIVE After application rub tape vigorously to activate adhesive
For full Plantar Fasciitis instruction guide, view PDF here.
You can shower or swim with your tape on, but you’ll want to apply it to completely dry, clean skin.
These steps best address the specific parts of the foot affected by plantar fasciitis, but you’re free to adjust or ease up on how tightly you secure the tape if you aren’t getting enough relief. In any case, if you use KT Tape, plantar fasciitis symptoms should be much less pronounced, and you’ll have an easier time using these muscle groups.
KT Tape, Plantar Fasciitis, and You
KT Tape is a phenomenal tool to bring along on your journey toward healing from plantar fasciitis. It’s important to remember that using athletic tape for plantar fasciitis tape is primarily for pain and swelling management and harm reduction for already damaged tissue. You should always consult your doctor if you have or think you might have plantar fasciitis to see what the best course of action is.
*Not clinically proven for all injuries.
