Why Your Heels Hurt (and What to Do About It)

Plantar fasciitis — or plantar fasciopathy, as it’s now more accurately called — is one of the most common causes of heel pain in adults.

It involves irritation or degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick band of connective tissue running from your heel bone to your toes. This structure supports your foot’s arch and absorbs impact when you walk.

When it’s overloaded or restricted, that tissue starts to protest — loudly. The result?

Sharp morning pain, tenderness near the heel, and that dreaded first-step ache that makes you hobble to the coffee machine.

According to the Australian Family Physician, more than 900,000 Australians experience heel pain each year, most commonly between ages 45–64 (Rasenberg et al., 2016).

While it was once blamed on “inflammation,” newer research shows the issue is often degenerative — involving thickening, micro-tears, and loss of elasticity, not just swelling (Bolívar et al., 2013).

That means treatment needs to move beyond rest and ice packs — towards restoring strength, mobility, and load tolerance.

Why Strength Matters

Your plantar fascia doesn’t work alone. It teams up with your calves, ankles, arches, and toes to control how your foot hits the ground.

When one link weakens — for example, a stiff ankle or lazy big toe — the fascia picks up the slack until it frays under pressure.

So if you’ve been told to “just stretch your calves” or “wear orthotics forever,” it’s time for a rethink.

The real fix is retraining how your feet move, load, and stabilise through targeted movement and progressive loading.

The 5 Best Exercises to Prevent and Manage Plantar Fasciitis

These exercises come straight from The Body Lab Canberra’s movement-based clinical approach. They help you:

• Strengthen the deep stabilisers of the foot and ankle

• Improve heel mobility and arch control

• Reduce tension in the plantar fascia

• Build resilience so pain doesn’t keep coming back

We’ll walk you through:

1. Ankle & Heel Tilts – Mobilise the heel and improve arch control

2. Heel & Ankle Rotations – Restore full 3D foot motion

3. Heel Backward Tilts – Strengthen calves and improve ankle extension

4. Calf Raises (with control) – Build strength and tendon elasticity

5. Ankle & Heel Tilt Combo – Integrate motion for long-term foot health

Each drill targets a specific movement your foot needs to absorb impact and propel you forward efficiently.

The Body Lab’s New Plantar Fasciitis Program

We’re launching a new research-driven Plantar Fasciitis Program soon — designed to help you:

• Rebuild heel and arch mobility

• Correct foot loading through gait retraining

• Strengthen the fascia, not just stretch it

• Understand the connection between your feet, knees, and hips

💡 Register below to be notified when enrolment opens and get early access to our self-assessment toolkit and exercise videos.

👉 Register Your Interest Here

Quick Science Recap (for the Foot Nerds)

• Plantar fasciitis is most often a degenerative condition — not purely inflammatory (Wearing et al., 2006).

• Ultrasound studies show thickening and fibrosis of the fascia with reduced elasticity (Rathleff et al., 2015).

• Strength-based programs that include calf and intrinsic foot exercises have better long-term results than passive treatments alone (Rathleff et al., 2015; Rasenberg et al., 2016).

Disclaimer

This information is for general education and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Always consult a qualified healthcare professional to determine the right program for your individual condition.