Heel Pain/Plantar Fasciitis

Heel pain, especially stabbing heel pain, is most often caused by plantar fasciitis, a condition that is sometimes also called heel spur syndrome when a spur is present. Heel pain may also be due to other causes, such as a stress fracture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation or, rarely, a cyst.

Because there are several potential causes, it is important to have heel pain properly diagnosed. A foot and ankle surgeon is able to distinguish between all the possibilities and to determine the underlying source of your heel pain.

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

The symptoms of plantar fasciitis are:

Pain on the bottom of the heel
Pain in the arch of the foot
Pain that is usually worse upon arising
Pain that increases over a period of months
Swelling on the bottom of the heel

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

The most common cause of plantar fasciitis relates to faulty structure of the foot. For example, people who have problems with their arches, either overly flat feet or high-arched feet, are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis.

Wearing nonsupportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain on the plantar fascia and can also lead to plantar fasciitis. This is particularly evident when one’s job requires long hours on the feet. Excessive stress on the foot and overuse may also contribute to plantar fasciitis.

People with plantar fasciitis often describe the pain as worse when they get up in the morning or after they have been sitting for long periods of time. After a few minutes of walking, the pain decreases because walking stretches the fascia. For some people, the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time on their feet.

Diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis

To arrive at a diagnosis, the foot and ankle surgeon will obtain your medical history and examine your foot. Throughout this process, the surgeon rules out all possible causes for your heel pain other than plantar fasciitis.

In addition, diagnostic imaging studies, such as x-rays or other imaging modalities, may be used to distinguish the different types of heel pain. Sometimes heel spurs are found in patients with plantar fasciitis, but these are rarely a source of pain. When they are present, the condition may be diagnosed as plantar fasciitis/heel spur syndrome.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Treatment of plantar fasciitis begins with first-line strategies, which you can begin at home:

Stretching exercises. Exercises that stretch out the calf muscles help ease pain and assist with recovery.
Avoid going barefoot. When you walk without shoes, you put undue strain and stress on your plantar fascia.
Ice. Putting an ice pack on your heel for 20 minutes several times a day helps reduce inflammation. Place a thin towel between the ice and your heel; do not apply ice directly to the skin.
Limit activities. Cut down on extended physical activities to give your heel a rest.
Shoe modifications. Wearing supportive shoes that have good arch support and a slightly raised heel reduces stress on the plantar fascia.
Medications. Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation.
Lose weight. Extra pounds put extra stress on your plantar fascia
Padding, taping and strapping. Placing pads in the shoe softens the impact of walking. Taping and strapping help support the foot and reduce strain on the fascia.
Orthotic devices. Custom orthotic devices that fit into your shoe help correct the underlying structural abnormalities causing the plantar fasciitis.
Injection therapy. In some cases, corticosteroid injections are used to help reduce the inflammation and relieve pain.
Removable walking cast. A removable walking cast may be used to keep your foot immobile for a few weeks to allow it to rest and heal.
Night splint. Wearing a night splint allows you to maintain an extended stretch of the plantar fascia while sleeping. This may help reduce the morning pain experienced by some patients.
Physical therapy. Exercises and other physical therapy measures may be used to help provide relief.

When Is Surgery Needed?

Although most patients with plantar fasciitis respond to nonsurgical treatment, a small percentage of patients may require surgery. If, after several months of nonsurgical treatment, you continue to have heel pain, surgery will be considered. Your foot and ankle surgeon will discuss the surgical options with you and determine which approach would be most beneficial for you.

Long-Term Care

No matter what kind of treatment you undergo for plantar fasciitis, the underlying causes that led to this condition may remain. Therefore, you will need to continue with preventive measures. Wearing supportive shoes, stretching and using custom orthotic devices are the mainstay of long-term treatment for plantar fasciitis.

From: FootHealthFacts.org, the patient education website of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Aspen Orthopedic Specialists Delivers Excellence Every Step of the Way

Our foot doctors and all our orthopedic doctors at Aspen Orthopedic Specialists are specialty-trained medical experts who understand your concerns, can answer your questions, and know how to apply their special expertise to help you. With years of training and experience in foot and ankle care, our board-certified podiatric surgeons, Dr. Sean Wilson and Dr. Robby Amiot, have the expertise to help you return to living the life you love.

Our foot and ankle specialists at our Foot & Ankle Center are passionate about helping patients to relieve their pain and get back to work and activity. Dedicated to earning the trust and confidence of every patient to provide the right solution, our podiatrists listen closely to each patient in order to figure out a plan that will accomplish his or her treatment goal.

Appointment access within 24 and 48 hours is available at our Brookfield, New Berlin, or Oak Creek locations. We encourage you to ask any questions you have about your care during your visit with our podiatrists.

To schedule a patient consultation with one of our Foot & Ankle Center doctors, please call (262) 383-4293 or request an appointment online.