I outlined some stretching techniques in an Ehow article: I highly recommend, if you are able, see a physical therapist to learn how to do the stretches and how to do them right. My favorite stretch is to grasp my toes and the upper (ball) partof the foot and to bend them toward my ankle as much as I can. I can feel this stretch in the arch as well as in the calf. It's also important ot keep your calves stretched otu all the time...from what I was told, the calf muscle is attached to teh plantar fascia, so one of the things that cuses Plantara Fasciitis or a Heel spur is having tight calves. I find the easiest way to do this is to simply flex the foot often, whenever I think of it. The stretched feeling reminds me of the tightness.
A decade ago, I had very painful plantar fasciitis. Since then, I've had other foot pain, including gout and now wonder if it's all from Psoriatic Arthritis. The pain in your heel from Plantar Fasciitis is debilitating. It feels like a knife sticking into your heel when you walk. Well, there is hope. It might take a while, but the pain will improve. Treatments for plantar fasciitis include stretching, physical therapy, ice, massage, and sometimes cortisone shots.