The classic description is almost diagnostic on its own: the first few steps out of bed in the morning are sharp and awful, it eases once you get moving, and then it comes back after you have been sitting for a while.
That pattern tells you something useful about what is happening.
What the plantar fascia does
The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue running along the sole of the foot, from the heel to the base of the toes. It acts like a bowstring, supporting the arch and storing energy with each step.
When it is irritated, it tightens overnight while you are still. Then you stand up, load it suddenly, and it protests. Once you have walked around for a few minutes it lengthens again and settles. Sit down for an hour and the cycle repeats.
The part people miss
The plantar fascia does not operate in isolation. It is continuous, through the heel, with the Achilles tendon, which runs up into the calf muscles.
Pull on one end of that chain and the whole thing responds. A tight calf keeps constant tension on the Achilles, which keeps constant tension on the plantar fascia, which never gets a chance to settle no matter how much you roll a ball under your foot.
This is the single most common reason plantar fasciitis drags on for months. The foot is being treated diligently while the actual source of the tension sits six inches higher and gets ignored.
What treatment looks like
We work the whole chain. The sole of the foot, yes, but also the Achilles, the calf, and often further up into the hamstring and hip, because how you load the foot depends on what is happening above it.
Calf work for this is not gentle, and it is often more uncomfortable than the foot work. It is also usually the part that produces the change.
We also look at how you are walking. If you have been limping around the painful heel for weeks, you have built compensations that will keep reloading the foot unevenly even after the pain settles.
What helps between sessions
Calf stretching does more for this than foot stretching, for the reasons above. Doing it before you get out of bed, rather than after, takes the edge off that first step.
Beyond that: avoid going barefoot on hard floors while it is acute, and do not suddenly increase your walking or running distance, which is a common way this starts in the first place.
How long
Plantar fasciitis is stubborn and it rewards consistency. Acute cases caught early often settle in a few weeks. Something you have had for a year has had a long time to build compensations, and that takes a more sustained plan.
If it is not responding at all, or if you have numbness, significant swelling, or pain that is worst at night rather than first thing in the morning, see a physician. Several other things can present similarly and are worth ruling out.