Plantar Fasciitis

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is characterized by foot pain and heel pain, especially when standing up after resting.

The condition occurs when the plantar fascia, the strong band of tissue that supports the arch of your foot, becomes irritated and inflamed due to overuse or too much pressure.

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel. The condition is more common in women, people who are overweight, people with jobs that require a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces, people with flat feet and people with high arches. Walking or running, especially with tight calf muscles, also may cause the condition.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment at Home

More than 90 percent of patients with plantar fasciitis will improve within 10 months through simple home treatments. They include:

• Rest – Reduce, or stop if possible, activities in which your feet pound on hard surfaces.
• Ice – Apply ice to your foot or roll your foot over a cold water bottle for 20 minutes, three to four times a day.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication – These include over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce pain and inflammation. Talk to your doctor if you take this medicine for more than a month.
• Exercise – Stretch your calf muscles, hamstrings, Achilles tendons and plantar fascia three times a day for give to 10 minutes for six weeks, and then daily afterward to maintain flexibility.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment at UH

When home treatments don’t resolve the pain, the expert physicians at UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute can help get you back on your feet again – pain-free. Our team offers a full range of treatments to treat your immediate pain and a long-term solution for recovery, such as:

• Percutaneous tenotomy
• Ultrasound injections of cortisone or plasma-rich platelets
• Custom orthotics