I Have Plantar Fasciitis and Increasing My Running Distance Makes It Flare Up

Your heel pain may flare up when you increase your running distance because the extra steps keep stressing your plantar fascia before it has enough time to settle down.

You may start a run feeling fairly comfortable, only to notice your heel becoming more painful once you pass the distance you have been used to running. The pain may begin as a mild ache or tight feeling and then become sharper with each step as you continue.

You may also notice that your heel feels worse later that day or when you get up the next morning. Increasing your distance changes how much repeated activity your foot has to handle, and your plantar fascia may not be recovering quickly enough between runs to keep up with the added mileage.

The Heel Pain Builds As Your Run Gets Longer

Your heel may feel fine at first and then start hurting as the extra miles add up.

You might notice the first part of your run feels normal, but your heel gradually becomes sore or starts giving you a sharper pain as you continue. This pattern often appears when you increase your distance faster than your foot has become comfortable handling.

Your Heel Feels Worse After The Longer Run

The flare-up may become more noticeable after you stop running.

You may finish the run thinking the pain was manageable, then notice your heel hurts more when you walk around afterward or take your first steps after sitting. The longer run can leave the plantar fascia feeling more painful and restricted, so the symptoms become easier to notice once the activity is over.

Why Your Heel Pain Keeps Returning With More Miles

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 does my plantar fasciitis flare up when I increase my running distance?

Increasing your running distance adds more repeated steps, which can stress your plantar fascia beyond what it has been recovering from between runs.

Why does my heel hurt after increasing my running mileage?

Your heel may hurt because the added mileage increases the repeated stress on your plantar fascia, especially if your foot has not adjusted to the longer runs.

Why does my heel feel fine at the beginning of a run but hurt later?

Your heel may feel comfortable initially but become painful as the repeated steps accumulate and your plantar fascia becomes more stressed.

Can increasing running distance make plantar fasciitis worse?

Yes. Increasing your distance can make the symptoms stronger when your foot is not recovering well between longer runs.

Should I keep increasing my running distance if my plantar fasciitis keeps flaring up?

If increasing your distance consistently brings the pain back or makes it worse, reducing the added activity and allowing more recovery may help prevent the flare-up from continuing.

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.