How to Tape a Foot for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot ailment characterized by pain in the heel that results from inflamed tissues in the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis tends to be more common in those with flat feet and those who come down hard on their heels while walking or running. Similar to other stress-induced injuries, plantar fasciitis pain may be alleviated somewhat by using athletic tape to support the heel and arch to reduce inflammation.

Things You'll Need

  • Athletic tape
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start a strip of tape at one side of the ball of the foot, wrap it around the back of the heel and then up the other side of the foot, sticking the other end to the other side of the ball of the foot. When completed, the strip will look like a long "U," with tape running along either side of the foot.

    • 2

      Wrap a strip of tape around the ball of the foot (the strip will travel over the top of the foot) then cut the strip with a scissors and pat it down. This will secure the strip placed in step 1.

    • 3

      Start a strip of tape on the ball of the foot near the big toe, wrap it around the heel and then stick the end back into the same spot you started it from.

    • 4

      Start a strip of tape on the ball of the foot near the pinky toe, wrap it around the heel and then stick the end back to the same spot you started it from. The strips of steps 3 and 4 should be fairly taut to help take away some of the stress that is irritating the plantar fascia.

    • 5

      Place one additional strip starting from the middle of the ball of the foot around the back of the heel and ending back in the middle of the ball of the foot.

    • 6

      Use several small strips of tape to cover the bottom of the foot from the ball to the heel to solidify the tape job. These strips should be placed in the same direction as the loop that was placed around the ball of the foot (they should go left to right); start at the ball of the foot and work your way back to the heel. The strips should overlap slightly so that no skin is visible between the heel and the ball of the foot.