Your heel may start hurting again when you try to return to running because your plantar fascia may not yet be ready for the repeated steps and longer activity.
If your plantar fasciitis makes it difficult to get back to running, you may find that walking feels manageable but running brings the familiar heel pain back quickly. The repeated steps and added activity can stress your plantar fascia before it has fully recovered, causing pain to return when you try to increase your running again.
You may be able to walk normally and even feel like your heel is finally better, only to have the familiar pain return when you try running. Sometimes the first few minutes feel fine, then your heel begins to ache, tighten, or become sharp with each step.
You may also notice that the problem is not limited to the run itself. Your heel can feel more tender afterward, hurt when you walk later in the day, or feel stiff when you first get out of bed the next morning.
Your Heel Hurts When Running Starts Again
Running may bring the familiar heel pain back even when everyday walking feels comfortable.
You might feel fine during normal walking but notice a pulling or aching sensation in your heel once you begin running. The faster, repeated steps of running can place more stress on the plantar fascia than your foot has been handling during your recovery.
The Pain Returns After You Stop Running
Your heel may seem manageable during the run and become more painful afterward.
You may finish a short run without much trouble, then notice your heel feels sore when you walk around or stand after resting. This can make returning to running frustrating because the flare-up may not become obvious until later.
Why Your Heel Struggles With Running Again
Your heel has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.
Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.
When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your heel feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.
What Can Help Your Heel Feel Better
Your heel starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.
Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.
Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.
If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.
If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.
If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.
If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.
If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.
Why am I struggling to get back to running with plantar fasciitis?
Your heel may still be sensitive to the repeated steps and added activity of running, even if walking has become comfortable.
Why does my heel pain come back when I start running again?
Your plantar fascia may not yet be ready for the repeated stress of running, causing the familiar heel pain to return.
Why can I walk without much pain but not run?
Running places more repeated stress on your foot than ordinary walking, so symptoms may return when you increase the intensity and repetition.
Why does my heel hurt after I try running again?
Your heel may become more painful after running because the added activity has stressed an area that is still recovering.
How do I know if my plantar fasciitis is ready for running again?
If running consistently brings your heel pain back, your foot may need more recovery before you increase your running activity.
Recommended Products
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• Acute Sinew Liniment — Used when pain, swelling, and inflammation are present to relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation, and increase blood flow and circulation to injured tissues.
• Sinew Herbal Ice — Used when the injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation and range of motion.
• Chronic Sinew Liniment — Used for pain and stiffness after swelling and inflammation are gone to relieve pain, strongly stimulate circulation, and promote the healing of injured tendons and ligaments.
• Sinew Injury Poultice — Used for chronic tendon and ligament injuries to significantly stimulate circulation and promote deeper tissue recovery.
• Sinew Sports Massage Oil — Used before or after activity to warm and stimulate muscles, increase circulation, relieve tightness, and improve flexibility in muscles and joints.
Related Articles
You may also find these related articles helpful.
• I Have Plantar Fasciitis and Running Makes My Heel Pain Come Back
• I Have Plantar Fasciitis and My Heel Hurts More After Long Runs
• I Have Plantar Fasciitis and Increasing My Running Distance Makes It Flare Up
• I Have Plantar Fasciitis and Playing Tennis Keeps Bringing the Pain Back
The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.
