If you have plantar fasciitis, it's likely that you are in more pain and discomfort in the beginning of the day or anytime you've slept. This condition is due to the plantar ligament contracting and hardening. If you take the weight of your body off the heel and arch in question, the ligament should move back to normal.

Using a night splint for plantar fasciitis, in addition to proper rest and sleep, can relieve the pain the patient undergoes as they sleep, as well as keep the foot arch and plantar ligament in their correct position and structure. As you sleep or rest, you can wear the night splint, which is a padded, sturdy boot that goes on your foot. In doing so, the foot stays in its neutral, safe positioning through supporting the foot arch as well as the plantar ligament.

The night splint fixes to your ankle, lower leg and foot like a brace, which you wear before you go to bed. The purpose of the splint is to stretch out the plantar fascia ligament as you rest. The plantar fascia is usually foreshortened, since most people sleep in a position flexing their feet plantar. With the night splint, one's ankle remains in a neutral position through the night.

The plantar fasciitis condition can be treated by the use of night splints. In addition to this, you can treat it with focused stretch exercises, physical therapt, orthotics, anti-inflammatory meds, and massaging of painful regions with ice. The most common treatments for fasciitis are night splints and orthotic shoe inserts.

Nearly 80 percent of patients using night splints have seen their condition improved, according to various medical studies. For those sufferers who had symptoms for more than a year, the splints were particularly effective.

While wearing a plantar fasciitis night splints, one can stretch their calf and plantar fascia as they sleep. Doing this helps lessen the stress on the swollen section of the foot. There is also a night dorsiflexion splint, that lets your body stretch the calf and fascia inertly at night. It also makes that first step when you get up less painful, as it lets the plantar fascia heal in a stretched position.

One concern with these splints is that they only support the ligament at night, when you need to support stretching of the foot all day. For those who are up and about carrying on their day, this is especially vital. Discomfort is also common during sleep. You can purchase a night split for about $60 to $80.