Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common, uncomfortable disorder affecting the heels. If you develop heel pain, visit Dr. Joseph Hall, DPM and the team at Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic for an accurate diagnosis. They provide outstanding care for patients affected by plantar fasciitis and other causes of heel pain. Call Dr. Joseph Hall, DPM (Foot and Ankle Specialist) at Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic in Mill Creek, WA or request a consultation online today. 

What is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis affects the foot’s plantar tissues, which extend from your heel through the arch to your toes. Overuse or irritation can cause inflammation or tear the plantar tissues, leading to pain in the bottom of the heel.

This pain is typically worse in the morning, easing off as you move about. If you do too much or sit too long, the pain might flare up again. Plantar fasciitis usually worsens over time without treatment and could become a chronic condition.

Some people have plantar fasciitis in both heels, but it often only affects one foot.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

The most common reasons why people develop plantar fasciitis include:

• Overuse injuries from sports and activities
• Inadequate arch support
• Going barefoot
• Excess body weight
• Sudden weight increase
• Jobs that require long periods of standing

Dr. Hall will take X-rays and do a thorough exam to determine what’s happening in your foot and decide on the most effective treatment.

What treatments help with plantar fasciitis?

It’s essential to reduce inflammation in the plantar fascia tissue to treat plantar fasciitis successfully. Rest, avoiding activities that worsen heel pain, and applying ice packs at intervals can help. You might benefit from anti-inflammatory medications, which also reduce pain.

If self-care doesn’t improve your symptoms significantly after a few weeks, you should visit Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic for a thorough exam. Dr. Hall might recommend taping, bracing and/or cortisone injections to help support the foot and reduce the inflammation.  A night splint can also help by stretching the tissues while you sleep.

It’s vital to address the underlying causes of plantar fasciitis to ensure recovery and prevent the problem from recurring. For example, you might need to lose weight and invest in more supportive footwear. Prescription Orthotics — custom-made supportive insoles — can be invaluable for reducing plantar fasciitis pain and thus changing your foot biomechanics; which most likely caused the pain in the first place.

Will I require surgery for plantar fasciitis?

Most patients recover well from plantar fasciitis with nonsurgical treatments. In more severe cases, steroid injections can help by delivering strong anti-inflammatory medication directly into the inflamed tissue.

An alternative to surgery, is a platelet rich plasma injection into the plantar fascia to repair the tissue and hopefully avoid surgery. Dr. Hall is one of only a few Podiatrists that offer PRP injections on-site in his clinic. This regenerative therapy uses the natural growth factors found in our blood cells to help heal damaged tissues. 

If no other treatments work, you might require plantar fascia release surgery. During this procedure, Dr. Hall cuts the plantar fascia tissues to relieve the pressure.

Early intervention ensures you get effective treatment before you need surgery, so don’t delay in seeking expert medical advice if you develop heel pain.

Call Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic to arrange a plantar fasciitis assessment or request an appointment online today.