Plantar Fasciitis

If you have noticed that you have a sharp, stabbing pain in your foot when you first awaken, you may have plantar fasciitis. If you’re in the Rancho Santa Margarita and Newport Beach area and you believe you may have this condition, we offer plantar fasciitis treatment.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, and can affect anyone. On the bottom of your foot, a long band of tissue connects your toes to your heel bone. This tissue is called your “plantar fascia”. When this becomes inflamed, it is called “plantar fasciitis”. At Foot and Ankle Speciality Group we will help you diagnose and get the correct plantar fasciitis treatment in Rancho Santa Margarita.

What is the Main Symptom?

Pain from plantar fasciitis feels like a sharp stabbing in the heel or on the sole of the foot. The pain is often worse in the morning or after a long period of sitting. It doesn’t typically flare up during exercise, but after exercising you may feel it come back again.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

Your doctor may not be able to pinpoint the exact cause of your plantar fasciitis, but there are known risks (see the section below). Your feet are the foundation of your entire body. They carry all of your weight and have to maintain balance and agility. This means they end up enduring a lot of abuse throughout the day. The plantar fascia supports your arch and absorbs shock, and when the plantar fascia is repeatedly stretched too far or has too much to absorb, small tears can develop. Next, this tissue becomes inflamed, leading to the stabbing pain of plantar fasciitis.

What Puts Someone at Risk for Plantar Fasciitis?

Age, obesity, and the type of work you do can all increase your likelihood of having plantar fasciitis. In addition, hobbies such as dancing or long-distance running can also put extra stress on this band. If you have high arches in your foot or are flat-footed, this affects the way you walk and can lead to plantar fasciitis.

Diagnosis

Doctors will not normally order any type of imaging to diagnose plantar fasciitis. Diagnosis is typically based on symptoms and the location of your pain. However, your physician may want an x-ray done just to rule out other causes of pain. Untreated plantar fasciitis can lead to bone spurs, which will show up on an x-ray. In general, though, unless used to rule out other causes, you should not need an x-ray for a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis.

Complications

Some incidences of plantar fasciitis may go away on their own without intervention, but if the inflammation doesn’t subside, it can cause more debilitating pain. You will naturally walk differently in an attempt to alleviate the pain, which can lead to knee, back, and hip problems in the future. This is when you would want a specialist to go over plantar fasciitis treatments in Newport Beach.

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At-Home Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Doctors generally recommend a conservative approach to treating plantar fasciitis. This means taking over-the-counter pain and inflammation relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

You can also apply ice to the inflamed area and rest the foot to alleviate the pain. There are also stretches that you can do at home. One common and very effective exercise is to roll a cold can of frozen juice under your foot. The rolling motion stretches and strengthens the plantar fascia, while the coldness of the can alleviates the pain.

When Medical Intervention is Needed

If conservative approaches are not working and you need more help than the home plantar fasciitis treatment listed above — or if your pain is making it difficult to function — a medical-grade plantar fasciitis treatment in Rancho Santa Margarita may be needed:.

Physical Therapy
Your doctor may prescribe physical therapy. A physical therapist will teach you how to do the exercises and probably push you more than you would do on your own. They can also teach you how to do athletic taping.
Supports/Orthotics
Another treatment option is wearing special supports or placing custom orthotics in your shoes.
Injections
Your doctor may recommend injections of either a steroid or a platelet-rich plasma (PRP). With an ultrasound guiding the injections, these can provide relief from the pain without risking a rupture of the tissue.
Tenex Procedure
A minimally invasive procedure called the Tenex procedure can eliminate some of the scarring associated with plantar fasciitis.