While heel pain is a common problem this doesn’t mean that it should just be brushed aside or considered a small matter. Untreated heel pain can lead to long-term pain and other problems. While there are many causes of heel pain the most common cause is plantar fasciitis. This condition causes irritation and inflammation within the thick band of tissue (known as the plantar fascia) that runs along the soles of the feet from the toes to the heel.

The telltale sign of plantar fasciitis is that the heel pain occurs under the heel beneath the heel bone. The pain may radiate to the arches of the feet because the plantar fascia provides support to the arches, as well. Heel pain may be worse first thing in the morning or after long bouts of inactivity. You may notice that your heel pain gets better with movement and exercise but gets worse immediately after.

Many people can treat plantar fasciitis effectively with at-home care; however, if your symptoms are severe, become worse or aren’t responding to conservative home treatments after five days then it’s time to see your podiatrist. A podiatrist will be able to provide you with answers as to what is causing your heel pain and how to best treat it.

Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Simple, conservative measures are usually all that’s needed to treat heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis. This includes:

• Resting and avoiding exercise and high-impact activities that will make symptoms worse
• Icing the heel and arches of the feet up to 20 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day
• Wearing supportive shoes with a low heel
• Placing custom orthotics within shoes for additional support
• Performing specific foot stretching and strengthening exercises
• Taking over-the-counter pain relievers to reduce pain and swelling
• Wearing a night splint to reduce morning pain and stiffness

Your foot doctor can show you a variety of exercises to perform that can alleviate heel pain and stiffness associated with plantar fasciitis. A podiatrist can also make prescription shoe inserts to provide your feet with the proper cushioning and structural support they need to reduce pressure points and improve the biomechanics of your feet.

Those with severe and persistent heel pain may require more aggressive treatment options such as ultrasound, steroid injections or shockwave therapy. Chronic plantar fasciitis may even require surgery to get rid of inflammation and tension within the plantar fascia. Surgery is rare but may be necessary when other treatment options have failed to properly manage and treat symptoms.

If you are dealing with heel pain for the first time it’s a good idea to see a podiatrist who can determine the cause of your pain and provide you with a customized treatment plan to get your heel pain under control.

The human foot and ankle contain 33 joints, 26 bones and over 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles. While all of these parts of the foot should work together, there are certain conditions, injuries and diseases that can affect the health and functioning of your foot or ankle. There are many instances in which you should turn to a podiatrist for individualized care that you can trust time and time again.

• Plantar fasciitis
• Achilles tendinitis
• Heel pain
• Ankle sprains and fractures
• Foot fractures
• Sports-related injuries
• Bunions and hammertoes
• Corns and calluses
• Diabetic foot care
• Fungal infections
• Ingrown toenails
• Heel spurs

Is heel pain keeping you down? Pain that occurs following an injury or early in an illness may play a protective role, warning us about the damage we have suffered. So what causes heel pain?

Understanding Heel Pain with Help from Your Podiatrist

• Wear shoes that fit well
• Wear proper shoes for each activity
• Do not wear shoes with excessive wear on heels or soles
• Prepare properly before exercising by stretching and warming up
• Pace yourself when you participate in athletic activities
• Don’t underestimate your body’s need for rest and good nutrition
• Lose excess weight

Plantar fasciitis can be described as a condition in which the heel of the foot becomes inflamed with pain. This occurs when the fibrous band of tissues that connect your heel to your toe becomes infected. There are several solutions for treating plantar fasciitis. The first recommended tip is to go see your podiatrist. Consider taking over-the-counter calcium and magnesium supplements to help with managing your foot pain. Ice the bottom of your feet, stretch your calves, and massage your feet often to help reduce inflammation and pain.

Plantar fasciitis can be very painful and inconvenient. If you have any concerns about your feet contact one of our podiatrists of New England Foot & Ankle Specialists. Our doctors will treat your foot and ankle needs.  

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, known as the plantar fascia, and causes mild to severe heel pain.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

·      Excessive running

·      Non-supportive shoes

·      Overpronation

·      Repeated stretching and tearing of the plantar fascia

How Can It Be Treated?

·      Conservative measures – anti-inflammatories, ice packs, stretching exercises, physical therapy, orthotic devices

·      Shockwave therapy – sound waves are sent to the affected area to facilitate healing and are usually used for chronic cases of plantar fasciitis

·      Surgery – usually only used as a last resort when all else fails. The plantar fascia can be surgically detached from the heel

While very treatable, plantar fasciitis is definitely not something that should be ignored. Especially in severe cases, speaking to your doctor right away is highly recommended to avoid complications and severe heel pain. Your podiatrist can work with you to provide the appropriate treatment options tailored to your condition.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our offices located in Reading, MA. We offer the newest diagnostic tools and technologies to treat your foot and ankle needs.

Read more about Plantar Fasciitis

With all the extra standing and walking during the holiday season, any pain in the foot becomes a more debilitating problem.  Sufferers of plantar fasciitis usually experience sharp, stabbing pains in their heels. This pain is usually at its worst in the morning when you take your first steps but you may notice it too after you have been standing on line at the mall for an extended period of time or after sitting through the company holiday party and then getting up.

What’s Behind the Pain

There’s a band of connective tissue in your foot that stretches from your heel bone across the arch and whole bottom of the foot to the base of your toes. When this band of tissue becomes inflamed, the heel and arch pain of plantar fasciitis is the result. At New England Foot & Ankle Specialists, we see patients with plantar fasciitis that stems from several sources: being overweight; flat feet or overly high arches that put extra stress on the plantar fascia; jobs that require long hours of standing (particularly on hard surfaces); exercise such as running or power walking, especially if the patient’s foot tends to overpronate, which means it rolls inward excessively.

Left untreated, plantar fasciitis can become extremely disabling because the pain will prevent you from walking normally and limit your activity. In compensating to avoid the pain, you may end up damaging your knees, back or hips, creating additional medical problems.

What Can Be Done

The good news is that most people respond to conservative treatment for this condition. One of our podiatrists: Dr. George A. Abboud, Dr. Brian D. Tedesco, Dr. Carl Conui or Dr. Kimberly Thurmond will first conduct a complete examination of your foot and ask you questions about the pain and other symptoms. X-rays or other imaging tests may be ordered to rule out foot disorders with similar symptoms.

Once the foot doctor has confirmed the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, rest, icing and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications may be recommended initially to relieve the pain and inflammation. Other treatment options may include any or all of the following:

• Stretching exercises
• Orthotics—to correct the faulty foot structure and/or arch problem that may be causing the plantar fasciitis; in some instances padding will be recommended to act as a shock absorber
• Night splints—to help keep the plantar fascia stretched overnight; strapping during the day may also help
• Physical Therapy

In extreme cases where other therapies do not bring relief, surgery may be required. To find out how to get relief from your heel pain, make an appointment to come into either our Reading office by calling (781) 944-4044.