How does Hilary Erickson's approach to managing pain from tailbone issues and plantar fasciitis differ from traditional methods?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse.

When I talk about my own tailbone pain and plantar fasciitis, I lean into a more “real life, trial-and-error” approach rather than a purely traditional, medical-pathway one. I did try the usual things first:

• Physical therapy
• Steroid injections
• Chiropractor

What ended up helping most, though, was a mix of:

• Looking for root causes and connections (my chiropractor linked my tailbone pain and plantar fasciitis, and later I learned how much pelvic instability/SPD played into it)
• Practical lifestyle tweaks, not just procedures (like very specific stretching routines and surprisingly, wearing sturdier heeled shoes for my plantar fasciitis instead of the common “only flat, supportive shoes” advice)
• Accepting that some pain improves slowly and may never be 100% “fixed,” but can be managed with alignment work, pelvic support belts, and pelvic floor or somatic-style PT

I also emphasize talking honestly about “TMI” things (pelvic floor, bladder, tailbone pain) so people know debilitating pain isn’t just “normal pregnancy” and there really are options beyond “just live with it.”

Is there a specific pain you’re wondering about—tailbone, pelvic, or foot pain—so I can tailor this more to you?