Plantar Fasciitis Specialist

What is plantar fasciitis?

Your plantar fascia is a long, thick tendon that attaches your heels to your toes. When the fascia becomes inflamed, it causes stabbing heel pain that’s particularly prominent first thing in the morning or when you stand after sitting for long periods of time. 

What are the symptoms of plantar fasciitis?

Severe, immobilizing heel pain is a common symptom of plantar fasciitis. You may find the pain diminishes during the day with activity and even exercise, only to get worse after you stop. 

Sometimes, you can develop a bony growth, or bone spur, in response to plantar fasciitis. These heel spurs usually don’t cause pain or require treatment, though.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is activated when you stand, walk, run, or jump. It can take a lot of stress, but too much stress or sudden stress can overwhelm the tissue. The plantar fascia can become inflamed, irritated, and painful as a result. 

Plantar fasciitis usually develops gradually. It slowly comes about due to repetitive stress from high-impact activities like running or playing sports. People with high arches, tight calf muscles, or a tendency to pronate (or roll in) as they walk or run are at particular risk of plantar fasciitis. If you’re overweight or obese, the extra stress on your feet can also contribute to plantar fasciitis. 

How does a podiatrist treat plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis responds well to conservative treatments like rest, icing, and stretching exercises in its early stages. Dr. Senatore may recommend you wear a specialized overnight splint to relieve overly tight muscles and/or wear orthotics during the day to support your foot structure. With rest and smart choices in footwear, plantar fasciitis inflammation can ease with time.

If you’ve been enduring plantar fasciitis pain for six months or longer, treatments are usually less effective and take longer to work. You may need more aggressive therapies like extracorporeal shock wave therapy to break down scar tissue and inflammation. 

Topaz® Coblation is a minimally invasive process that uses radio waves to cause small injuries to your plantar fasciitis that result in your body rushing healing cells to the area and resolving your injury. AmnioFix® injections also help heal plantar fasciitis by stimulating natural healing cells to reduce irritation and promote the growth of new, healthy tissue.

If you suffer from plantar fasciitis pain, contact Union Podiatry today. Request an appointment online or call the nearest location.