At Sunshein Podiatry, we take pride in helping our patients throughout the greater Dayton area overcome pain and other challenges from a wide range of conditions and injuries. Whether you sustained a foot or ankle sports injury, developed a painful bunion, or are experiencing discomfort from an ingrown toenail, we can create a treatment plan to resolve the problem. Of course, just because we treat many different foot issues doesn’t mean they're all equal. In fact, there tends to be one particular problem that brings more patients to see us than any other: heel pain.
But why? While there are many conditions that cause problems in this part of your foot, plantar fasciitis is the primary reason. Here's how our Centerville podiatrists help you say goodbye to plantar fasciitis-related heel pain.
Why Does Plantar Fasciitis Cause Sharp Heel Pain?
It all starts with the structure of your foot. The heel bone, known as the calcaneus, forms the foundation at the back of the foot and serves as an attachment point for key soft tissues that absorb impact and support movement. One of the most important of these structures is the plantar fascia.
The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, stretching from the heel to the toes. Its job is to support the arch and help the foot handle the stress of walking, standing, and running—much like a bowstring supports a bow. When this tissue is exposed to repetitive strain or excessive force, small tears can develop. Over time, repeated stress and incomplete healing lead to irritation and inflammation, resulting in plantar fasciitis.
Heel pain from plantar fasciitis is often most noticeable after periods of rest, such as when first getting out of bed or after sitting for a while. During rest, your body attempts to repair the tiny tears in the fascia, causing the tissue to tighten. When you stand and take those first steps, the sudden stretch re-irritates the area, triggering sharp or stabbing pain in the bottom of the heel. While the discomfort may ease as the tissue warms up, it often returns later in the day or after additional rest, continuing the cycle of pain.
What Stretching Exercises Help Relieve Plantar Fasciitis?
Our entire medical team at Sunshein Podiatry is dedicated to helping you say goodbye to plantar fascia-related heel pain through non-invasive, evidence-based methods. We've found that stretching exercises are one of many therapeutic approaches that can not only potentially alleviate the pain associated with this condition, but also possibly prevent it from occurring in the first place. Here are a few we often include in our patients' treatment plans:
- Achilles tendon stretch. Stand approximately a foot and a half in front of a wall with your hands on it. Place your left foot behind the right one so the toes touch the heel. Keeping your back leg straight, gently bend your front knee until you feel the stretch in your lower left leg. Hold for 10 seconds and then switch legs. Repeat two more times.
- Plantar fascia stretch. Sit barefoot in a chair and place your foot over your knee. Using the hand on the same side as your foot, softly pull back on your toes until you feel a good stretch along the bottom of your foot. Hold for 10 seconds and then switch feet. Repeat two more times.
- Towel pulls. Sit in a chair, straighten one leg, and extend your toes into the middle of a towel while holding its ends in either hand. Keep your leg straight as you slowly pull the towel ends toward you, flexing your toes. Do this 10 times before repeating the stretch with the other leg.
Different Plantar Fasciitis Heel Pain Treatment Options at Sunshein Podiatry
Stretching is a great place to start for heel pain relief, and may even turn out to be all the care you need. However, there's a strong possibility you'll require additional treatment. That's when we can help.
Additional conventional methods include:
- RICE is a common medical approach used to manage injuries and reduce symptoms. The acronym stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Rest helps protect the injured area from further damage while allowing the body time to heal. Ice, compression, and elevation work together to ease pain, limit swelling, and control inflammation. In addition to supporting ongoing treatment, RICE is also an effective first-aid method that can be used immediately after an injury to help minimize discomfort and prevent symptoms from worsening.
- NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are commonly used to help reduce pain and inflammation. Many are available over-the-counter, including medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and aspirin. In some cases, a prescription-strength NSAID may be recommended, such as celecoxib, which is often known by its brand name, Celebrex.
You might need to use a combination of RICE and NSAID treatment to manage your heel pain until you are able to come in for your appointment.
We're also proud to offer several state-of-the-art methods, such as:
- Orthotic therapy. Depending on the root cause of your heel pain, we may design specially crafted custom orthotics to control irregular foot motion or provide additional support where needed. Unlike off-the-shelf shoe inserts purchased at the pharmacy, our medical devices are crafted to fit your unique foot structure and gait patterns. While store-bought inserts temporarily provide extra cushioning or arch support, they're not intended to treat medical conditions in the same way as podiatrist-approved insoles or orthotics.
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT). In this advanced treatment, we capitalize on the energy of powerful acoustic waves, which are directed at the injury site. Once there, the waves stimulate and enhance natural healing processes, along with reducing chronic inflammation and improving blood flow to the area.
- Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy. Lasers have been playing an increasingly larger role in the medical field, particularly and the treatment of soft tissue injuries. In the same way that ESWT utilizes sound, MLS laser therapy leverages light energy. We can direct amplified light beams that are calibrated specifically to travel through tissue and reach the injury site, where the energy then initiates and enhances natural healing processes, such as cellular repair and regeneration.