/assets/images/provider/photos/2789454.jpeg)
5 Signs Your Heel Pain May Be Plantar Fasciitis
About 10% of the general population struggles with plantar fasciitis, a condition appearing when the thick tissue band running across the bottom of each foot (plantar fascia) becomes inflamed.
It can happen from too much pressure on your feet while running, exercising on hard surfaces, standing for long periods, or even wearing the wrong shoes. If you’ve ever felt like you’re walking on sharp rocks, you know exactly what this feels like.
If you suspect plantar fasciitis because of lingering heel pain, see Jason Armstrong, DPM, in Shenandoah and Humble, Texas, for an evaluation. He offers treatments that help you get back on your feet, pain-free.
5 signs of plantar fasciitis
Here are five signs that your heel pain could be plantar fasciitis.
1. Persistent heel pain
Heel pain may come and go for a variety of reasons, but pain that lingers for a week or longer could be plantar fasciitis. This type of pain is often worse when you stand up for the first time each morning and after periods of inactivity. This phenomenon is known as first-step pain.
Plantar fasciitis pain might feel like a dull-but-constant ache or a stabbing, sharp pain when you place pressure on the affected heel(s). Exercising may temporarily ease your discomfort.
2. Tight Achilles tendon
Does your Achilles tendon, the thick and strong tendon connecting your heel bone to your calf muscles, feel tight? If so, plantar fasciitis could be the reason for your heel pain. Your Achilles tendon helps you walk, jump, run, climb stairs, and stand on your toes. It can become damaged with overuse, and its tightness may be a sign of plantar fasciitis.
3. Heel swelling
If you develop swelling around your heel along with pain, these symptoms are indicators of plantar fasciitis. Anything that damages the plantar fascia (often overuse or stretching too far) can cause it to swell. This inflammation of tissues makes it more difficult or painful to use your feet.
4. Stiffness
Do your feet feel stiff, especially when you first wake up or after you’ve been sitting down for a while? Stiffness makes it more difficult to move your toes or feet, and can worsen heel pain when left untreated. If you have stiffness along with heel or arch pain, plantar fasciitis may be the reason.
5. Pain in your foot’s arch
The plantar fascia is more than just a thick, stretchy band connecting the bones in your feet together. It helps form the arch in the bottom of each foot. This explains why you might experience pain in the arch of your foot in addition to heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis. The discomfort might be dull and achy or sharp, stabbing, or burning.
Ways to eliminate plantar fasciitis
To ease plantar fasciitis and restore your ability to move without pain, Dr. Armstrong offers numerous treatments. He personalizes a plan based on your needs, lifestyle, and preferences. Your treatment may include one or more of the following:
- Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines
- Corticosteroid injections
- Rest
- Icing the affected foot
- Custom orthotics
- Walking boot
- Stretching
- Massage
- Supportive footwear
- Extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT)
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
- Percutaneous needle tenotomy
- Surgery
In severe cases, foot surgery may be the best way to ease plantar fasciitis discomfort long-term.
Reduce your risk of further heel pain by stretching before and after working out, allowing your feet to recover after intense exercise, wearing comfortable and supportive shoes, and not walking barefoot on hard surfaces.
Recover from debilitating heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis with Jason Armstrong, DPM, by contacting us today by phone or requesting an appointment online.