Online physiotherapy for plantar fasciitis (heel pain)
If your heel pain fits plantar fasciitis, a video appointment lets your physiotherapist ask about your symptoms, watch you stand and walk, and set up foot and calf exercises to do at home. It is not the right route after a heel injury, with a hot swollen heel and fever, or with tingling or loss of feeling in the foot. Those need NHS 111 or a GP.
If you’re in the Glasgow area, you can book a home visit instead of a video call.
How online physiotherapy works for plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is pain under the heel or along the sole of the foot. Much of what we learn comes from the story: when the pain is worst, how it behaves after rest, what footwear you wear and how much time you spend on your feet. All of that can be covered by video, and you can show us the shoes you wear every day on camera.
We also watch you move. We ask you to stand, walk across the room in bare feet or in your usual shoes, and rise onto your toes, so we can see how your foot and ankle share the load. Seeing you in your own home or workplace set-up helps us talk about the floors, shoes and routines that you actually have.
The NHS says plantar fasciitis can usually be eased with self-care, and that regular gentle exercises to stretch the sole of the foot and heel can help. It also says a physiotherapist can show you exercises. Our plans start from that: a small set of foot and calf exercises, shown on camera and corrected as you do them, and advice on pacing your standing and walking.
There are limits to video. We cannot feel the heel or the sole of your foot, and we cannot scan it. If your story does not fit plantar fasciitis, or you have any of the warning signs below, we will tell you plainly and point you to in-person care instead of carrying on with a plan.
What the video assessment checks
- Where exactly the pain is felt, and whether it sits under the heel, along the arch or somewhere else in the foot.
- When it is worst, for example on the first steps in the morning, after sitting, or at the end of a long day on your feet.
- What you wear on your feet at home, at work and for exercise, and how much walking or standing you do.
- How you stand, walk and rise onto your toes, and how your ankle and calf move, filmed from the front and the side.
- Whether you have any tingling, numbness or loss of feeling in the foot, and whether you have diabetes, because the NHS advises seeing a GP if you have diabetes and heel pain.
- The red flag questions listed below, including any recent injury, which we ask at the start of every appointment.
What treatment usually involves
A first plan for heel pain usually has three parts: advice on easing off whatever sets the pain off for now, regular gentle stretches for the sole of the foot and the calf, and gradual strengthening for the foot and calf as it settles. We show each exercise on camera and give you only a few to start with, so that you can keep them going.
For heel pain we give you an estimate rather than a fixed course. It depends on your condition; your physiotherapist will give you an estimate after your assessment. The first is a 60-minute video assessment at £40, and follow-ups are 30 minutes at £30. We review it with you at each follow-up rather than booking a block in advance.
We will also talk about footwear, how to build walking and standing back up, and how to tell a sore day from a worsening one. Nothing in your plan depends on us touching your foot.
For questions about cost, referrals and insurance, see our guide to private physiotherapy cost in the UK. We cannot promise that any insurer will pay, so check with yours before you book.
How long recovery usually takes
The NHS says to see a GP if foot pain has not improved after treating it yourself for 2 weeks, so we use that as a checkpoint. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries, written for GPs, describe plantar fasciitis as usually settling over time, and suggest considering a specialist referral if symptoms are severe enough to affect daily life or last 3 to 6 months despite care. We cannot give you an exact recovery time for your heel. We review how your pain, walking and daily tasks are changing at each follow-up, and we will suggest a GP review if things are not moving in the right direction.
When you need to be seen in person instead
A video appointment is not the right route for the situations below, and a home visit is not a substitute for urgent care.
- Call NHS 111 if you have severe heel pain after an injury, such as a fall or a jump.
- Call NHS 111 if you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain.
- Call NHS 111 if your foot or ankle has changed shape or is at an odd angle, or you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise when you hurt it.
- Call NHS 111 if you cannot walk, cannot walk on your tiptoes or cannot climb stairs after an injury, or you have swelling and bruising in your calf and ankle.
- Call NHS 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment if your heel is hot and swollen and you have a high temperature or feel unwell.
- See a GP if you have any tingling or loss of feeling in your foot, or if you have diabetes and heel pain.
- See a GP if the pain is severe or stops you doing normal activities, is getting worse or keeps coming back, or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself. Tell us if the pain is there at night or at rest, and speak to your GP before relying on a video plan.
Common questions
Can plantar fasciitis be assessed by video?
We can ask about your pain, watch how you stand and walk, and look at your footwear, then give you exercises. Over video, we cannot examine your foot by hand, and some symptoms need in-person care. We screen for those at the start and will tell you if a video appointment is not right.
What exercises help heel pain?
The NHS says regular gentle exercises to stretch the sole of the foot and heel can help, and that a physiotherapist can show you exercises. In our plans we choose and pace them after watching you move, and we show each one on camera.
How long should I try self-care before seeing someone?
The NHS says to see a GP if foot pain has not improved after 2 weeks of treating it yourself, or sooner if it is severe, getting worse or you have tingling or loss of feeling. If you are unsure, ask your GP or call 111 before booking.
I hurt my heel in a fall. Can I still book?
Please do not book a video appointment first. The NHS advises calling 111 for severe heel pain after an injury, and especially if the foot has changed shape, you heard a snap or pop, or you cannot walk. Once you have been checked, we can help with the recovery.
Further reading
This information is general and not a substitute for an assessment. Don't start a new exercise programme without advice from a physiotherapist or doctor who knows your condition. If an exercise causes pain that doesn't settle, stop and seek advice.
Sources
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A 60-minute video assessment with an HCPC-registered physiotherapist is £40.
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