Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain : Symptoms & Treatment

The plantar fascia is the largest ligament in our body. The ligament runs from the bottom of your fore-foot and attaches to the calcaneal heel bone.

Does foot pain accompany those first few steps when you get up in the morning? If so, you may have plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the largest ligament in our body. This ligament runs from the bottom of your fore-foot and attaches to the calcaneal heel bone. It’s estimated that 1 out of 10 people during their lifetime will experience heel pain from plantar fasciitis and is most common among people 40-60 years old.

As we get older, the natural fat padding on the bottom of our feet starts to dissipate. The fat padding acts like a cushion protecting the plantar fascia ligament and tendons on the bottom of the foot. When the cushion thins out, your entire body weight is directly over the plantar fascia with each step. Repetitive strain from running, walking and jumping forms micro-tears and scar tissue, causing the plantar fascia to become painfully inflamed.

Symptoms

Symptoms include a sharp stabbing pain along and near the heel bone. Pain is the worst in the morning and improves as you continue to walk throughout the day, only to increase again as you stand up from a sitting or resting position. This makes normal activities such as walking and running very difficult. Often times, the foot will be stiff and hypersensitive. The foot will at times feel swollen, tender and warm to the touch.

Treatment

The treatment goal for plantar fasciitis is to reduce the inflammation and prevent abnormal pressure over the ligament. At-home treatments can include massaging the heel with ice, as well as various home stretching exercises. Your physician will often refer you to physical therapy for stretching exercises as well as deep tissue massage.

Your doctor may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medications. Oftentimes, cortisone injections are helpful. Changing shoes that are wider or cushioned can reduce irritation. Custom orthotics are also made to control the joint motion and correct biomechanical abnormalities that decrease strain to the plantar fascia. When all else fails, surgery is performed on the chronically inflamed plantar fascia.

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Plantar FasciitisPodiatry

Dr. Ayan Goswami, DPM: Dr. Ayan Goswami is a board-certified Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who practices both adult and pediatric podiatry. His patient-centric approach focuses treatment on the individuality of the patient. Each patient heals differently, therefore the same treatment plan will not work for everyone. Treatment plans are focused on the patient’s lifestyle, job, age, and systemic issues which all play a role in their healing potential. Upon completion of general podiatry, Dr. Goswami further improved his medical and surgical skills by successfully completing his fellowship specialization in reconstructive surgery and complex non-healing wound care. He believes in a gentle, relaxed, comprehensive, and compassionate approach to any lower extremity problems. Dr. Goswami earned his medical degree from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine in 2010. Subsequently, he completed 3 years of surgical residency in foot & ankle reconstruction at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in New York. Following his residency, he supplemented his medical and surgical training by obtaining a fellowship with the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. In addition, Dr. Goswami is certified in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and complex non-healing wounds. Dr. Goswami uses a combination of conservative and minimally invasive treatment options to design personalized recovery plans for his patients. Often, this involves remaining up-to-date with cutting-edge breakthroughs in surgical technology, including high-definition fiber-optic visualization and regenerative techniques such as stem cell therapy. In his spare time, he serves as a volunteer medic for the Boston, Washington DC, and New York City marathons. He also volunteered for Special Olympics and American Diabetes Association foot screenings. In addition, he is a founder of Project Darfur and a fundraiser for Children of Darfur, Feed The Children, City Harvest, and Meals on Wheels – just to name a few.