What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel and arch pain. It is an inflammation of the long band of tissue that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot, and it is often at its worst with your first steps in the morning. Like most heel pain, it usually comes from too much strain on the heel bone and the tissues around it.
Other common causes of heel pain include heel spurs (bony growths under the heel that can hurt when the area becomes inflamed — plantar fasciitis can happen with or without one), a "pump bump" (an enlarged bone at the back of the heel that rubs against the shoe) and Achilles tendonitis (irritation of the tendon at the back of the heel).
Common causes
Contributing factors include:
- Over-stretching the tissue under the arch
- Muscle imbalance or a bone deformity
- Extra body weight
- Injury, or hard surfaces and poorly made shoes
- Tight calf muscles
- Skipping warm-ups or over-training
- Health conditions such as arthritis, gout or circulation problems
What you can do at home
To help yourself:
- Warm up and stretch before and after exercise.
- Wear shoes that suit your activity.
- Use RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation.
How a podiatrist helps
The good news: most heel pain gets better without surgery. Dr. Rosenfeld can:
- Examine your foot and arrange X-rays or other scans
- Tape the foot for support
- Recommend a store-bought arch support or prescribe custom orthotics
- Prescribe medication, or give a cortisone and freezing injection
- Perform surgery if it's needed