How do I Choose the Best Plantar Fasciitis Night Brace?

Plantar fasciitis is a medical condition which produces pain in the heel or arch of the foot. It is caused by pronation, or tilting the foot inward toward the center of the body while standing or walking, which stretches the arch-supporting connective tissue, called the plantar fascia. One type of therapy for this condition is to wear a plantar fasciitis night brace which holds the foot in a flexed position and stretches the plantar fascia, allowing it to heal. To choose the best plantar fasciitis night brace, you should look at the three basic types of brace, think about which brace would be most comfortable for your sleeping style, and pick 1 or 2 braces to test. The night brace you select should sufficiently flex your plantar fascia, feel comfortable while on, allow you to sleep fairly unencumbered, but should not cut off circulation to your foot.

Night braces for plantar fasciitis come in three basic styles called supports, socks, and braces. The supports are typically the cheapest of all the plantar fasciitis night braces, and consist of a tense stirrup which runs under the arch and is held in place by Velcro® strap encircling the ankle. With this product, the force on the plantar fascia may not be enough to treat severe plantar fasciitis, and the tension in the stirrup band can wear out quickly, leaving the support useless.

The sock brace is a complete sock which stops mid-shin or runs up to the knee. It has a tight band stretching from the top of the sock to the point of the toe, forcing the foot to remain in the flexed position. This type of plantar fasciitis night brace produces good results, seems to last a long time, and is fairly comfortable for sleeping.

Boots are a third type of plantar fasciitis night brace, and locks the foot into the flexed position. This brace is placed onto the foot and held in place with several Velcro® straps. This type of brace is probably the best at alleviating plantar fasciitis, but can be fairly awkward in bed. If you are a back-sleeper this brace may not bother you, but side and front-sleepers may find it difficult to sleep and will require some adjustment.

To choose the best plantar fasciitis night brace you should order 1 or 2 types of braces, preferably with a money back guarantee, and try each one for a few nights. The brace you dislike can possibly be returned for a refund. When testing, you need to consider comfort and also be sure the brace provides strong flexing of your plantar fascia. The flexed position will be slightly uncomfortable at first, so be sure to try each brace a few times for as long as possible, so that you can evaluate the comfort of the brace apart from the awkward and new position of the foot.