Plantar Fasciitis Socks: Role of Compression in Plantar Fasciitis Rehab

When the repetitive stress of your steps becomes too much for the plantar fascia, it starts developing microscopic tears, which can lead to inflammation in the tissue. Over time, these tiny tears become scar tissue, which is disorganized, less resilient, and more susceptible to further aggravation. To treat Plantar Fasciitis, stopping this cycle becomes key.

Compression socks are also effective at preventing muscle fatigue and reducing tightness in your feet and legs.

Many people with Plantar Fasciitis develop fatigue and tightness in the small muscles around the plantar fascia, as they work overtime to compensate for the aggravated fascia. By reducing fatigue in the small muscles in your foot and helping them function more smoothly without unhealthy tension, you’re giving your plantar fascia the much-needed break.

These dual benefits are why we developed our medical-grade Compression Socks and include a pair in our Plantar Fasciitis treatment system for athletes and people with particularly severe cases of Plantar Fasciitis (our Performance Edition).

Some compression sock brands say that compression socks can lift and support the arch, and that’s how they can relieve pain. Is that true?

Generally, no. Sock material is too stretchy to create a fulcrum powerful enough to lift the arch. Consider this: when you run, three times your body weight goes through your foot. Sock material simply isn’t strong enough to support your arch when that level of impact is hitting your plantar fascia.

This is not to say that compression socks can help Plantar Fasciitis recovery! They absolutely do; just not in the way some sock makers claim.

To find the best compression socks for Plantar Fasciitis treatment, look for several features:

For effective Plantar Fasciitis relief and treatment, you want compression above 20 mmHg. (That compression level makes socks medical-grade.) Compression levels below this won’t be powerful enough to make a difference in fluid retention. But higher levels of compression can come with their own issues, so look for a compression level around 20-30 mmHg. 

Many compression socks, even medical-grade ones, have compression only in the ankles and calves, and leave out the feet. For Plantar Fasciitis relief and recovery in general, you really need compression in the feet, too. If you don’t have compression in the feet, the excess fluid will just pool in your feet, where it’ll interfere with tissue healing in the plantar fascia.

The best socks for Plantar Fasciitis are the ones that you can put on easily, and keep on with comfort.

During the R&D process of our Performance Compression Socks, we tested dozens of compression socks on ourselves. Some compression socks - mysteriously, even ones with compression levels in the teens - were so tight that we couldn’t keep them on for more than a few hours.

These super-tight socks were a pain to put on and off, too. Our staff got sweaty in an air-conditioned office just trying to get them on - this would massively reduce the chance that you’ll actually use them!

We can't point to a study, but most likely, socks shorter than ankle-length, like no-show socks, are not as effective for Plantar Fasciitis relief. With shorter socks, the extra pumping action stops too low, so the excess fluid will just accumulate around the ankle. Look for socks that are at least calf-length.

Speaking of what to wear, don’t forget shoes! Recent research into what makes the best shoes for Plantar Fasciitis has shown that well-designed shoes that fit well can make a significant difference on your comfort level as you work on healing Plantar Fasciitis. (Here's our guide to finding the right pair for your feet.)

We mentioned earlier that compression socks alone won’t cure Plantar Fasciitis quickly or fully. In physical therapy, the gold standard of care is to combine three treatment methods: load management, soft tissue mobilization, and progressive strengthening. Incorporate these three key components of Plantar Fasciitis treatment - along with compression socks - to resolve the root cause, and prevent flareups for the long term. Just briefly:

These three methods are the fundamental pieces of your Plantar Fasciitis treatment at home. Adding compression will reduce your discomfort now, and can shorten your Plantar Fasciitis recovery time, which is particularly important for athletes and adventurers who put their feet through a lot of load and stress - that's why we include our Performance Compression Socks in the Plantar Fasciitis System | Performance Edition.

Alleviate was founded by a patient-and-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our Plantar Fasciitis System | Performance Edition, you get all three components of the gold standard of physical therapy care for Plantar Fasciitis, plus our medical-grade compression socks and massage balm with soothing arnica extract.