How to Treat Your Plantar Fasciitis Pain When Conservative Options Fail

diagnosis and treatment of plantar fasciitis

Your plantar fascia is a ligament that connects the front of your foot to your heel. Its main role is to support your foot arch and assist with walking, subjecting the ligament to a lot of wear and tear over the years. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the ligament becomes painful and inflamed. Pain from plantar fasciitis is often described as a piercing sensation that you feel at the bottom of your heel. You’ll generally notice it when you first wake up in the morning, after spending a significant amount of time on your feet or after a period of physical exertion. This is why getting treatment for your plantar fasciitis pain is important!

At Certified Foot and Ankle Specialists, we commonly see patients complaining of heel pain. If you’re dealing with painful burning or aching on the bottom of your foot or feet, don’t delay making an appointment to diagnose and treat your plantar fasciitis to prevent further damaging the ligament.

When is Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Necessary?

If you’re shifting your weight when you walk in order to avoid plantar fasciitis pain, it’s time to see a doctor. Favoring one foot over the other may ameliorate the pain, but putting an unnecessary amount of strain on other parts of your body can also lead to a number of other complications.

There are a few different plantar fasciitis treatment methods available to provide you with relief. Depending on your situation, a doctor may at first recommend rest and some pain medication to reduce inflammation. You may also want to consider physical therapy, icing the area and installing arch supports in your shoes to help reduce the pressure on the ligament.

Foot Injections for Plantar Fasciitis

If your condition is not responding to conservative options, your podiatrist may recommend foot injections to reduce your plantar fasciitis pain. These injections can drastically decrease inflammation while reducing the formation of scare tissue and accelerating the healing process. There are different types of foot injections available to treat your plantar fasciitis. Your podiatrist can help determine which is best for your individual case.

A steroid injection can help patients suffering from plantar fasciitis when prescribed medications aren’t working. This method involves injecting the steroid into the part of your foot responsible for the most pain. Steroid injections not only relive pain, but they also can help reduce inflammation.

PRP and stem cell therapy involve injecting your own platelet rich plasma or stem cells into the damaged part of your foot to encourage your body’s natural healing process.

Plantar Fasciitis Surgery

If the above methods are not suitable, you may be recommended for surgery as a last resort. This surgery is generally less invasive than many other kinds, rarely requiring you to maintain medical supervision overnight. However, it would require you to avoid putting stress on your foot during recovery.

Though foot injections can help your plantar fasciitis improve or ease your pain, you need to consult a doctor to properly diagnose your condition and recommend the right plan of action. A board-certified specialist can help you determine whether an injection is a good fit for your condition.

If your plantar fasciitis is not improving there may be a cyst in the calcaneus. New minimally invasive treatment techniques are available to fill the cyst, which results in relief of pain right away.

If you’re experiencing pain in the arch of your foot and want plantar fasciitis treatment, you should schedule an appointment with the board-certified podiatrists at Certified Foot & Ankle Specialists today. Additionally, another cause of heel pain that can mimic plantar fasciitis is tarsal tunnel syndrome. It is important to see a physician such as Dr. Kinmon or Dr. Bowles who specializes in peripheral nerve surgery in order to properly diagnose and treat this condition.

Give us a call at 1-855-550-FEET.

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