The conversation your GP didn't have time for.
Real questions from people who've been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or simply left with a leaflet. Honest answers.
During sleep, your plantar fascia shortens and partially "knits" overnight. That first step forces a sudden stretch across micro-damaged tissue — it's not weakness, it's mechanics.
At Stride, we address this directly in session one: we measure your overnight fascial contraction pattern and prescribe a specific pre-step protocol you can do in bed before your feet touch the floor. Most clients report meaningful morning improvement within three sessions.
Not automatically. Whether you can continue depends on your load tolerance, not just your pain level. We assess both — and give you an honest answer, not a blanket "rest for six weeks."
We use a modified return-to-run protocol that identifies the exact weekly mileage and surface combination your fascia can currently handle. Most runners maintain some training throughout their Stride programme. We'd rather modify your training intelligently than stop it entirely.
Cortisone reduces inflammation temporarily but doesn't address why the fascia is under excessive load. Without resolving the mechanical cause, pain typically returns within 3–6 months — sometimes worse.
Stride's approach targets the loading patterns, tissue quality, and movement mechanics that created the problem. We're not anti-cortisone — for severe acute cases it has a role. But it works best as a bridge to structural treatment, not a standalone solution. We'll tell you honestly if we think you need it.
Two paths forward. Both start here.
Ready to book? We'll match you with the right session. Not quite ready? We'll send your personalised heel recovery plan — no obligation.
Book Your First Step
Initial assessment · 60 minutes · $120
Free Heel Recovery Plan
Personalised to your pain pattern
Not ready to book yet? We'll send you a personalised 5-step recovery plan based on your specific pain pattern — including the pre-step morning protocol, load management guidance, and the three mistakes that slow most people's recovery.
What to expect at your first session
15-min intake assessment — we map exactly where and when it hurts
Targeted manual therapy — hands-on fascial release, not ultrasound
A written plan — your personalised protocol to take home
The moment it stopped hurting.
These aren't curated success stories. They're the honest accounts of people who'd already tried everything else.
I'd been icing my heel every night for four months. My physio said rest. Stride said "let's look at how you're landing." Three sessions in, I ran my first pain-free 10k since January.

Marcus Webb
Marathon runner · Portland, OR
Twelve-hour shifts on tile floors. I'd tried four different insoles, two pairs of "medical grade" shoes. The morning hobble had become my normal. After Stride it isn't anymore.

Diane Okonkwo
ICU nurse, OHSU · Portland, OR
My doctor offered cortisone and told me to take it easy. I'd already had two injections over two years — the pain always came back. Stride actually fixed the reason it kept coming back.

Tom Lathrop
High school PE teacher · Lake Oswego, OR
Ready to stop hobbling? Your first session is 60 minutes.