Heel pain is an extremely common and potentially disruptive affliction that has many possible causes, including stress fractures, arthritis, nerve irritation, cysts, tendonitis and most often, plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis, which is the most common cause of persistent heel pain, occurs when the tissue that connects the heel to the ball of the foot becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes pain on the bottom of the heel or sometimes in the arch that can continue to grow in intensity over time.
You may be prone to developing this painful condition if the mechanics of your feet aren’t ideal, such as flat feet or excessively high arches, or if you have poor alignment in your feet that causes you to walk on the inner or outer edges of your feet. Overweight individuals may be more likely to develop plantar fasciitis and it can occur from spending hours on the feet in shoes that offer little or no support.
Treatment options for plantar fasciitis included an effective stretching regimen, icing, shoe changes, steroid injections, anti-inflammatory medications and weight reduction to lessen the impact on the feet. More severe cases may be treated with custom braces, and orthotic devices, the use of a walking cast, night splints and physical therapy. If you are experiencing persistent heel pain, visit with one of our podiatrists (foot and ankle specialists) to learn if you may be suffering from plantar fasciitis versus another condition and what can be done to resolve your pain.