Picture the scene. It’s a beautiful morning, and sunlight peeks in through the gaps in the blinds. It was a good night of sleep, but now it’s time to get ready for a new day! You yawn, stretch your arms and legs, place your foot on the ground, and …
YOWCH!
A stab of pain strikes your heel, and radiates upward into your leg. You were really hoping it would be different this day. But just like every day for the last couple of weeks, you’ll have to hobble around the house for a few minutes before the pain recedes back to just a dull ache.
Can you relate?
If we just did a pretty good job describing your morning, you probably have a case of plantar fasciitis. This common condition is notorious for stabbing heel pain in the early morning, or really after any long break—say getting up from watching a movie or working at a desk all day.
Fortunately, plantar fasciitis is not usually difficult to treat. There are two objectives—one, reduce the inflammation and pain, and two, relax the tight plantar fascia and Achilles tendon tissue that cause the pain in the first place.
After you stop by our office and we confirm the diagnosis, we will recommend a treatment course. The following treatments, tools, and procedures are frequently employed to treat plantar fasciitis; the severity of your condition will help determine which are necessary in your case.
- Rest
- Ice
- Pain medications (oral pills and/or topical creams)
- Steroid injections (if pain is severe)
- Stretching exercises for the feet
- Strapping
- Splints
- Prefabricated orthotics
- Custom orthotics
- More advanced treatments, like PRP, shockwave, stem cell injections, or surgery. (These are rarely necessary—only in the most severe circumstances.)
When heel pain flares up in the morning, you have options. The team at North Austin Foot & Ankle Institute is happy to help you get back on your feet. To schedule with us in either Cedar Park or Round Rock, TX, give us a call at (512) 593-2949.