Plantar Fasciitis Specialist

What is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the leading cause of heel pain. This condition happens when you develop inflammation in your plantar fascia, the weblike length of fibrous tissue that connects your heel bone to your forefoot. 

The plantar fascia bears your whole body weight, so it’s extremely durable. However, when too much pressure and stress is placed on the plantar fascia, it can cause microscopic tears in the tissue. This leads to the inflammation and swelling that causes plantar fasciitis symptoms. 

What does plantar fasciitis feel like?

Plantar fasciitis causes serious heel pain. The pain usually feels like a stabbing sensation in your heel, but some people experience a duller type of persistent pain. 

Many people experience the most severe pain when they first wake up and start walking around. Although the sharp heel pain usually gets better while you’re in motion, it usually comes back afterward. 

Plantar fasciitis pain generally continues for months or until you seek treatment, although it can sometimes go away on its own. About 80% of people with plantar fasciitis also experience achilles tendon tightness, which can cause soreness and pain in the bottom of your leg and down into the back of your heel. 

What causes plantar fasciitis?

Several factors may cause increased stress and pressure on your plantar fascia, including: 

• Increasing intensity or duration of a running routine
• Struggling to lose weight
• Pregnancy
• Standing for long periods 
• Abnormal foot mechanics, such as flat feet or very high arches
• Wearing unsupportive or badly fitted shoes frequently

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, which causes inflammation and damage to your joints, you may also have an increased risk of plantar fasciitis. 

How is plantar fasciitis treated?

About 98% of people with plantar fasciitis improve with conservative treatments. Some common options for conservative care include stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, custom orthotics, or splints that you wear overnight. 

If conservative care doesn’t relieve your pain, your podiatrist may recommend plantar fasciitis surgery. The most common surgery for plantar fasciitis is a minimally invasive procedure in which your podiatric surgeon creates tiny incisions in the plantar fascia to relieve tension and ease your pain. 

To find relief from plantar fasciitis pain and improve your quality of walking, call the Paris Foot & Ankle Clinic office in Paris, Texas, or use the online booking page today.