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Compression socks for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis Socks: Role of Compression in Plantar Fasciitis Rehab

Luke Ferdinands

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Dealing with foot pain can be tough, especially when it's affecting your daily activities. Compression socks are a simple yet powerful tool that can significantly reduce discomfort, particularly for conditions like Plantar Fasciitis or Posterior Tibial Tendonitis (PTTD).


Designed to improve circulation and reduce swelling, medical-grade compression socks help your tissue recover faster from injuries and proactively prevent muscle fatigue.


Whether you’re on your feet all day or need post-activity relief, compression socks are a smart addition to your Plantar Fasciitis self-care routine. Ready to learn how they work and how to spot the best pair? Let’s dive in!

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

When you develop sharp, stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot, in your arch, or in your heels, one of the common causes is Plantar Fasciitis. The pain can be worse first thing in the morning, or after a period of activity - the symptoms can vary from person to person. Plantar Fasciitis is a repetitive stress injury of the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, called plantar fascia. Plantar fascia works with muscles and tendons to support the arch of your foot, absorbing the impact of the steps you take, like a spring.

Microscopic tears in the plantar fascia can lead to inflammation and scar tissue.

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 as a part of Plantar Fasciitis self-care

Doctors and physical therapists recommend a range of treatments for Plantar Fasciitis. On the conservative (non-invasive) side, you may find rest, manual therapy (massage), wearing a foot brace, and specific physical therapy exercises for Plantar Fasciitis. On a more invasive side, some doctors recommend cortisone shots (we don’t recommend this!), and even surgery.


Compression socks are one of the non-invasive treatments for Plantar Fasciitis. By themselves, compression socks won’t completely resolve Plantar Fasciitis, but they can be a part of an effective self-care routine.

Take the quiz to see if your arch and heel pain is from Plantar Fasciitis
Take the quiz to see if your arch and heel pain is from Plantar Fasciitis

How compression socks for Plantar Fasciitis work

Compression socks have zones with different levels of compression that help your body pump out excess fluid from your feet, ankles, and calves.


Plantar Fasciitis gets two benefits from this action:


  • Reduction of acidic fluids that interfere with tissue healing
  • Preventing fatigue and tightness in the small muscles that support the plantar fascia

Although Plantar Fasciitis is not particularly associated with swelling, most people retain fluids in their lower extremities due to simple gravity - especially if you stand on your feet all day, or walk or run long distances. The excess fluid tends to be acidic, which is known to slow down tissue healing.


Compression socks help your feet get rid of this acidic fluid and waste materials that can interfere with tissue healing. Called venous return, this function of compression socks can reduce inflammation in the plantar fascia and expedite the healing process of the microtears in the tissue.

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).

Can compression socks support the arch for Plantar Fasciitis pain relief?

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.

When should you wear compression socks for Plantar Fasciitis for best results?

You can wear compression socks during any activities that cause you Plantar Fasciitis pain. The fluid-pumping action of the socks will proactively prevent the accumulation of excess fluid, and reduce your post-activity fatigue and tightness in your arch. Wearing compression socks after activities during cooldown is another effective way to reduce fatigue and promote tissue healing.


Some people like to wear compression socks to bed. Plantar Fasciitis pain is often at its worst first thing in the morning, and for some people, wearing compression socks during sleep can help with that morning heel and arch pain. (We also recommend a quick 3-minute massage with the Arch Massager before you get out of bed to get your foot ready for the day!)

Wear compression socks during or after activities for Plantar Fasciitis recovery
Wear compression socks during or after activities for Plantar Fasciitis recovery

How can you find the best Plantar Fasciitis compression socks?

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

1. What’s the level of compression?

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. 

2. Do they have compression in the feet?

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.

3. How long can you wear the compression socks?

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!

4. Are they at least calf-length?

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.

Don’t forget shoes

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.)

Plantar Fasciitis treatment to use with compression socks

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:

1. Load management

Load management means reducing the load that the plantar fascia has to carry as you go about your day. Physical therapists use low-dye taping for load management.


For at-home care, you can wear a Plantar Fasciitis brace (like our Loft 2 Brace) that replicates the low-dye tape job. Load management reduces pain, and lets you stay active while protecting your injured tissue.

Wear compression socks and brace together to relieve pain and speed up recovery
Wear compression socks and brace together to relieve pain and speed up recovery

2. Soft tissue mobilization

In layperson's terms, "soft tissue mobilization" is deep-tissue massage that physical therapists use to break up the scar tissue and promote the growth of healthier, stronger tissue. (Here's a look at the science behind using massage for Plantar Fasciitis.)


Use our purpose-built foot massager to easily give yourself a quick, professional-level massage. We guarantee you: it’ll be the best 2-3 minutes you spend for your foot health and overall happiness!

The Alleviate Arch Massager breaks up scar tissue and promotes healing
The Arch Massager breaks up scar tissue and promotes healing

3. Progressive strengthening

Strengthening exercises for Plantar Fasciitis are key for long-term recovery. Weakness in your muscles, tendons, or other tissue can put additional strain on your plantar fascia, making it take on more load than it can manage. So, by building strength in all the muscles and tendons that work together to support your arch, you’ll be able to relieve pain now, and prevent recurrences in the future.

Follow the Plantar Fasciitis Guided Recovery Program for daily exercises.
Follow the Plantar Fasciitis Guided Recovery Program for daily exercises.

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.

Key Takeaways for your recovery

Compression Socks’ Role: Compression socks help reduce swelling by promoting venous return. Good Plantar Fasciitis socks can expedite healing by reducing inflammation and preventing accumulation of acidic fluid that can slow healing. They are most effective when combined with other treatments like load management and strengthening exercises.

Find the Best Socks for Plantar Fasciitis: Make sure the socks have compression in the feet, have 20-30 mmHg compression, comfortable enough for all-day wear, and at least calf-length.

Add medical-grade compression to your Plantar Fasciitis rehab plan

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.

Luke Ferdinands, physical therapist and Alleviate co-founder

Luke Ferdinands, Physical Therapist & Co-Founder


A New Zealand-trained physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, Luke developed the Alleviate Method to bring the gold standard of physical therapy care to everyone's home. Luke leads the development of physical tools and digital physical therapy content, focusing on driving clinical outcomes for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions like Tennis Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis, Runner's Knee, and more.