Home treatments like rest, icing, and using braces and anti-inflammatory drugs are often the first ways to treat plantar fasciitis. Try to change your shoes as not all shoes provide an adequate level of cushioning for the feet. Stretching and strengthening exercises or using special devices may relieve symptoms. If more conservative measures aren't working after several months, your doctor might recommend: - Injecting steroid medication into the tender area can provide temporary pain relief - Ultrasonic tissue repair. - Few people need surgery to detach the plantar fascia from the heel bone. It is generally an option only when the pain is severe and other treatments have failed.