Plantar Fasciitis Specialist

What is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that causes heel pain.

Your toes are connected to your heel bone by a shock-absorbing ligament on the bottom of your foot. This thick band of tissue is called the plantar fascia ligament and supports your arch. When it becomes inflamed, it causes stabbing pain.

While the most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is heel pain, you can experience pain anywhere on the sole when the fascia becomes inflamed. You might also experience sensations like stiffness, tenderness, warmth, or swelling in the sole of your foot. 

Plantar fasciitis can also lead to heel spurs. Heel spurs are bony growth that forms where your inflamed ligament attaches to your heel bone.

Plantar fasciitis can make walking on hard surfaces difficult. The pain usually worsens after long periods of sitting, standing, or first thing in the morning.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

Overuse or strain usually causes plantar fasciitis inflammation. This strain leads to small tears in the plantar fascia ligament, which causes inflammation.

Activities that can lead to plantar fasciitis include running, walking, and other sports requiring a lot of jumping. You can also develop plantar fasciitis from wearing poor or inadequate footwear or spending long hours standing or walking on hard surfaces.

Sometimes the cause of plantar fasciitis isn’t clear. Several factors can increase your risks of fascia inflammation or injury, including:

• Foot structure or gait, especially in high arch feet
• Being overweight
• Exercises that stress your feet

If you’ve developed heel pain, you should contact Collier Podiatry to schedule an evaluation. 

How is plantar fasciitis diagnosed and treated?

The expert team at Collier Podiatry can usually diagnose plantar fasciitis through a physical examination of your feet. During your appointment, your doctor looks for localized tenderness on the soles of your feet, especially on the heel and inside your arch.

If further testing is necessary, the facility offers state-of-the-art technologies like digital X-rays and ultrasound imaging. These tests can reveal heel spurs, fractures, and other issues that may be contributing to your discomfort.

Depending on the extent of your inflammation, Dr. Petrocelli might recommend several treatment options, including:

• Ice to reduce pain and inflammation
• Physical therapy to treat and prevent future injury
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Footwear or orthotic inserts to relieve strain on the fascia ligament
• Lifestyle changes

If your plantar fasciitis is unresponsive to conservative measures, Dr. Petrocelli may recommend a more aggressive form of treatment like steroid injections or shockwave therapy to help you find relief.

If you’re experiencing heel pain or discomfort on the bottoms of your feet, call Collier Podiatry for more information.