Running, jumping, and working on your feet can all contribute to plantar fasciitis pain. For some, this pain can become debilitating, especially if you play sports or frequently engage in strenuous physical activity.
At New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, pain management specialist Jose De La Torre, MD, offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for plantar fasciitis. Dr. De La Torre focuses on relieving your heel pain and reducing your risk for a worsening of your condition.
Your plantar fascia is the thick band of ligaments that connects the inside of your heel to your toes. These ligaments are responsible for absorbing the shock of your movements and supporting the natural arch of your foot.
Too much stress on the plantar fascia can stretch the plantar fascia and lead to tears in the tissue, a condition known as plantar fasciitis. The hallmark symptom of plantar fasciitis is persistent heel pain that starts out mild, but can progress to debilitating.
You may notice your pain is worse in the morning, when you walk barefoot, or when you wear shoes that don’t provide proper arch support. If your heel pain continues to worsen, you should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine.
Although anyone can develop plantar fasciitis, the condition is common in athletes at all levels because of the physical activity involved in sports.
You might also be at increased risk for plantar fasciitis as you get older because of degenerative changes in the structures of your feet. Other common risk factors for plantar fasciitis include having flatfeet, overly tight calf muscles, or bone spurs that irritate your ligaments.
In many cases, mild plantar fasciitis can be cured with rest and noninvasive therapies like custom orthotics to support your heel and foot arches. You can also use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medications.
However, if you have moderate-to-severe tears in your plantar fascia, you may need additional treatments to protect your ligaments. We may recommend:
Braces and night splints that help brace your foot while you sleep to help the ligament tissue heal on its own.
Physical therapy is also an effective way to treat and prevent plantar fasciitis heel pain. Dr. De La Torre can also show you exercises you can do at home to stretch your calf muscles and the soft tissues in your feet.
Therapy not only relieves existing pain, but can also help you avoid tears in your ligaments.
If you aren’t able to be physically active or participate in therapy because of severe heel pain, you may benefit from injections of cortisone.
This treatment delivers medications directly into your ligaments to reduce inflammation for several weeks or months, so you can exercise and stretch your plantar fascia.
To learn more about treatment options you can use to manage plantar fasciitis pain, schedule a diagnostic evaluation online or call New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine today.
