An anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen can help reduce pain and inflammation.
Consider night splints. Foot splints are available (usually from $20 to $60) and can help if worn at night. It's best to have a doctor recommend the best one for your case, as there are several varieties. Ease yourself back into the game. Don't restart strenuous lower-body activity until you're pain check out this article too free. If you mess around with this, you'll simply aggravate the injury and be out even longer.
Prevent It
Stay flexible. The best way to stretch this area is to put your toes and the ball of your foot against the top of the vertical edge of a step with your heel on the floor and slowly lean forward, keeping your leg straight, until you feel the stretch at the top of your calf. Repeat the stretch with your knee bent, feeling the stretch farther down the leg near the Achilles tendon. Hold each click to read more stretch for 15 to 20 seconds and repeat several times in each position. Ideally, you'll do this daily, before and after exercise.
Roll it. Roll a tennis or golf ball back and forth under each foot for a few minutes a day to loosen the fascia.
Try orthotics. Over-the-counter (OTC) hard arch supports can be helpful, especially for you high-arched folks. Prescription orthotics are another option because they're custom-made for your foot, but I suggest trying the (much cheaper) OTC orthotics first because in my practice, about 90 percent of patients have good results with them. If they don't work, then see a podiatrist for a custom set.
New York City sports medicine specialist Jordan D. Metzl, M.D. is a 29-time marathon finisher and 10-time Ironman. His book, The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies, has more than 1,000 tips to fix all types of injuries and medical conditions.
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