Why So Many People Struggle with Plantar Fasciitis — and What We’re Getting Wrong
Plantar fasciitis has unfortunately become a household name. You see it everywhere—ads, billboards, and entire businesses built around “the fix.” It’s now a multi-million-dollar industry focused on managing pain instead of solving it, selling shiny gadgets, shoes, and orthotics that you’re told to rely on for the rest of your life.
But does it really have to be this way? Do these treatments and devices actually work? To answer that, we first have to look at why so many people are developing plantar fasciitis in the first place.
The Real Reason So Many Americans Develop Foot Pain
If we study other cultures that don’t struggle with this problem—people who walk, run, and work barefoot or in minimal footwear—we see one major difference: Americans live almost entirely on synthetic surfaces. Asphalt roads, concrete sidewalks, office floors, wood flooring, and concrete basements make up nearly every step we take. Our feet rarely touch anything natural.
As these hard, unyielding surfaces fatigue and wear out our feet, we reach for “solutions” like cushioned shoes, thick carpets, and soft rugs to protect ourselves. But that comfort doesn’t fix the problem—it often makes it worse.
How Modern Shoes Are Making the Problem Worse
Shoes have been designed backwards. Our feet hurt from walking on hard surfaces, so we add layer after layer of cushion—think Birkenstocks or Crocs. They may feel good because they mold to your feet, but what they’re really doing is molding around existing dysfunction.
Then came the “technical” shoes: stability models, arch supports, and rocker bottoms, each more advanced than the last. At this point, we’ve basically designed a shoe to act like an artificial foot. The missing piece? Movement.
These shoes lock your foot into a static position, keeping it weak, inflexible, and more prone to injury. You might feel fine in them, but walking barefoot becomes uncomfortable or even painful.
What We Can Learn from Barefoot Cultures
Compare that to Indigenous peoples—Native Americans, Africans, and tribes in Mexico—who spend their lives barefoot or in minimal footwear. Their feet are often flat, yet strong, flexible, and pain-free. The difference isn’t arch height; it’s strength and adaptability.
Healthy feet move. They respond to uneven ground, flex, and adjust. Weak, static feet break down.
The Harris Chiropractic Foot Restoration Protocol
I’ve developed a specialized plantar fasciitis recovery protocol designed not just to relieve foot pain, but to rebuild strong, functional feet that can move naturally—even barefoot. It combines proven therapies such as dry needling, ultrasound, Graston technique, chiropractic adjustments, custom orthotics, and corrective exercises in a structured process that restores natural foot function.
It’s the only protocol of its kind, and I’ve seen overwhelming success and long-term results with it in practice.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you or someone you know in the Denver area is dealing with heel pain, arch pain, or chronic foot issues, reach out to me at Harris Chiropractic in Westminster, Colorado. A conversation is always free, and I’d be happy to review your case so you can feel confident knowing there’s a real solution that works.