Night Splints for Plantar Fasciitis: Evaluating Effectiveness, Benefits, and Potential Drawbacks

After more than a decade of living with chronic plantar fasciitis, I was first prescribed night splints to see if they could alleviate my morning heel pain. I have since learned that night splints are one of the most recommended treatments by podiatrists for plantar fasciitis sufferers. I’d like to give you an overview of night splints and help you decide if using one is right for you.

Night splints were also effective in improving the range of motion in the ankle and decreasing the intensity of pain. A study published by Akhavan-Boroujeni and Sadeghi-Demneh in 2022 on pain after using a night splint revealed that patients who wore the splints experienced less pain in the morning upon rising from bed. A person who has plantar fasciitis usually experiences peak pain in the morning due to the overnight resting of the plantar fascia. The night splints lift the heel and keep it in a stretched position, which can have a beneficial effect on the plantar fascia and allow the tissue to heal. The stretching of the plantar fascia may improve its flexibility over time.

Lewis et al. (2015) studied the effect of orthotics in combination with traditional therapy as compared to traditional therapy alone. The study showed that using a night splint can be an effective tool in the treatment of plantar fasciitis and in some cases more effective than traditional treatments like physical therapy or ice therapy alone. The night splint applies a permanent stretch to the plantar fascia which can provide faster recovery and improved results. Many people who try orthotics are surprised by the quick relief they get from symptoms and this is especially true with the addition of a night splint to help stretch the plantar fascia.

Plantar fasciitis is a type of common foot pain characterized by inflammation of a band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot. One of the proposed causes of this pain is poor posture during the night that causes an abnormal alignment of the foot that stresses and inflames the band of tissue. Jamal et al. ( 2022) discovered in a split-plot experimental design that using a night splint on the lower extremities had a favorable effect upon the quality of life of the patients. These patients reported feeling better on a general health, role/function, emotional, sleep, and social/vocational level. When a person feels less pain in the body they will likely start to participate in more physical activities and therefore would have a better quality of life. They would also be in a better mood, which means they are happier and therefore overall living a better life. Foot pain, in this case, plantar fasciitis can affect multiple qualities in a person’s life and thus can be seen as having a large negative impact upon a person’s overall well-being.

Even though night splints can cause some discomfort or irritation, they are an option to consider. A small downside to night splints is that they may not work for everyone. According to Trojian and Tucker (2019), patients tend to vary when it comes to using night splints. While night splints can be fantastic for certain people and their plantar fasciitis, it may not provide relief for others. Read more here: Plantar Fasciitis Treatment.

Use of night splints, also, does not provide a lot of benefit when used within the context of a treatment plan that incorporates other therapy techniques. According to a blog written by Wheeler (2017) there does not appear to be any real additional benefit to using the orthotics in relation to other therapy techniques for treating plantar fasciitis. A number of potential causes of plantar fasciitis may not be addressed effectively with a splint on the foot including proper weight reduction as well as improvements in footwear.

Well the final point is based on the general principles of sports medicine which points to the fact that foot orthoses and night splints are only moderately effective. Here is an excerpt from a review by Hopkins (2022) “Many people are helped by splints, but they do a good job on only some of the people on whom they are tried. (The small true clinical trial that has been published is not consistent with the large number of patients helped). It therefore becomes quite easy to overestimate their value. A small amount of knowledge about the “indispensable ingredients of treatment” makes it quite plain that a night splint alone is not sufficient. The casual patient often thinks that all that is needed is to “try” orthotics or a splint.”

Night Splints for Plantar Fasciitis So, are night splints good for plantar fasciitis? The short answer is yes, they can be. Here is a bit more detail about some of the pros and cons of using a night splint for plantar fasciitis: Pros of using a night splint: Increased ankle dorsiflexion (toe lift) Less pain Overall better quality of life Cons of using a night splint: Individual side effects may vary and may be a bit uncomfortable to get used to Treatment of plantar fasciitis should be multi-factorial It is very important to keep in mind that you should take all treatments for plantar fasciitis on a case by case basis. You may need to try a few things before you find something that works.

Citations:

Lee, C.C.W., Wong, W.Y., Kung, E. and Leung, A., 2012. Effectiveness of adjustable dorsiflexion night splint in combination with accommodative foot orthosis on plantar fasciitis. https://ro.uow.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Effectiveness_of_adjustable_dorsiflexion_night_splint_in_combination_with_accommodative_foot_orthosis_on_plantar_fasciitis/27751143

Schuitema, D., Greve, C., Postema, K., Dekker, R. and Hijmans, J.M., 2019. Effectiveness of mechanical treatment for plantar fasciitis: a systematic review. Journal of sport rehabilitation, 29(5), pp.657-674. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsr/29/5/article-p657.xml

Wheeler, P.C., 2014. The effectiveness and tolerability of tension night splints for the treatment of patients with chronic plantar fasciitis–A case-series study. International Musculoskeletal Medicine, 36(4), pp.130-136. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/1753615414Y.0000000032

Bendo, A.J.P., Barros, M.I.G., Bertolini, G.R.F., de Carvalho, A.R., Donin, C.B. and Azevedo, M.R.B., 2023. Night Splints in Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review. Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal, 13(2), pp.283-289. https://www.academia.edu/download/112570686/12.FLOR-BERTOLINI.pdf

Wheeler, P.C., 2017. The addition of a tension night splint to a structured home rehabilitation programme in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis does not lead to significant additional benefits in either pain, function or flexibility: a single-blinded randomised controlled trial. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 3(1). https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/3/1/e000234?cpetoc

Akhavan-Boroujeni, B. and Sadeghi-Demneh, E., 2022. The Effectiveness of Two Types of Night Splints on the Range of Motion of the Ankle Joint, Pain Intensity, and Quality of Life (QoL) in Patients With Plantar Fasciitis: A Pilot Study With Parallel Groups. Archives of Rehabilitation, 23(2). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ebrahim-Sadeghi-Demneh/publication/364171943_The_Effectiveness_of_Two_Types_of_Night_Splints_on_the_Range_of_Motion_of_the_Ankle_Joint_Pain_Intensity_and_Quality_of_Life_QoL_in_Patients_With_Plantar_Fasciitis_A_Pilot_Study_With_Parallel_Groups/links/642c1d194e83cd0e2f8dc464/The-Effectiveness-of-Two-Types-of-Night-Splints-on-the-Range-of-Motion-of-the-Ankle-Joint-Pain-Intensity-and-Quality-of-Life-QoL-in-Patients-With-Plantar-Fasciitis-A-Pilot-Study-With-Parallel-Groups.pdf

Lewis, R.D., Wright, P. and McCarthy, L.H., 2015. Orthotics compared to conventional therapy and other non-surgical treatments for plantar fasciitis. The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 108(12), p.596. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4742336/

Trojian, T. and Tucker, A.K., 2019. Plantar fasciitis. American family physician, 99(12), pp.744-750. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/0615/p744.html

Jamal, D., Rahman, M.H., Khan, M.H., Saha, R.K. and Chakraborty, P.K., 2022. Effects of Application of Night Splint in the Management of Plantar Fasciitis. Asian Journal of Medicine and Health, 20(6), pp.10-16. https://hal.science/hal-05206690/

Hopkins, W., 2022. Effectiveness of Foot Orthoses for Treatment and Prevention of Lower Limb Injuries. Sports Medicine. https://www.academia.edu/download/89305002/PrintPDF.pdf