Plantar Fasciitis Specialists Midtown, Manhattan, NYC

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of pain in your heels. It’s also a pain to pronounce — “PLAN-ter fash-ee-EYE-tus” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Your plantar fascia is the thick band of fibrous tissue that connects your heel to your toes. Your plantar fascia keeps tension in the arch of your foot. This tissue band can become inflamed and painful and is probably the most common complaint seen in the office of a podiatrist.

All symptoms should always be evaluated with a thorough consultation and examination by your podiatrist for an accurate diagnosis and plantar fasciitis NYC treatment plan to exclude any underlying serious condition. Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that’s most common as you enter your middle years but can occur in younger active individuals. Our specialists also see the condition in those who spend a lot of time on their feet for prolonged periods of time, such as waiters, grocery, and healthcare workers.

How Do Plantar Fasciitis Start?

Foot care experts report that the most common plantar fasciitis causes are wear and tear. Aging and repetitive activities increase your chances of developing this condition. Some rare cases are the result of single injuries to your foot. When you walk, the tissue stretches when your foot hits the ground. The fascia can become stressed by the way you walk, becoming weak, swollen, or painful over time.

Weight and pressure of any sort aggravate the condition. The bottom of your foot or heel then hurts whenever you stand or walk. If you feel heel pain and suspect plantar fasciitis, seek a confirming diagnosis and appropriate treatment from the best-rated practitioners.

What Are the Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms?

A continued strain of your plantar fascia over time can eventually cause tears in the tissue, resulting in pain and swelling. Any leading podiatry professional can tell you that your chances for plantar fasciitis increase if you:

• Are obese or overweight
• Spend extended periods of time running, walking, or standing on hard surfaces
• Wear ill-fitting shoes. Your shoes should also have enough width and room in them so as not to squash your bunion. If you do develop a bunion, visit our Podiatrists and bunion surgeons in NYC who is trained to correct this deformity and will guide you to the newest bunion procedure that suits your lifestyle and expectations.
• Wear shoes that are well worn
• Have flat feet or high arches
• Develop feet that are pronated — roll too far in when you walk
• Have tight tendons
• Don’t stretch tight calf muscles
• Wear high heels often. That can lead to the development of a bunion

If you suffer from this condition, you feel pain as soon as you get out of bed or sit for a long period of time. Usually, the pain and stiffness lessen after you take a few steps. But your foot may become increasingly more painful as the day goes on. Standing still and climbing stairs can be particularly unpleasant activities. If your feet hurt at night, however, it may be a sign of another problem, like arthritis or a nerve problem such as tarsal tunnel syndrome.

How to Diagnose Plantar Fasciitis?

To diagnose this ailment, your podiatric healthcare professional asks you a series of questions about your plantar fasciitis symptoms and medical history. A best-rated podiatrist performs a series of physical exams that primarily involve watching you while you stand and walk.

Imaging tests, such as X-rays, aren’t helpful when trying to determine your ligaments’ condition. However, X-rays may be used to eliminate the possibility of stress fractures, bone cysts, or other related foot or ankle problems. If you find heel spurs, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have plantar fasciitis.

Tests done in rare cases include MRI, blood work, bone scans, and vascular tests. These may be necessary to evaluate blood flow to your feet and legs. Your podiatry specialists may even order a series of neurological tests to rule out nerve entrapment.

How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis?

For this health condition, there is no such thing as “one fix cures all.” There are, however, many things you can do to help to get plantar fasciitis relief. And your podiatrist can help you figure out what works best for you. For example:

• Take it easy! Cutting back on activities that require you to be on your feet is a definite step in the right direction.
• Cortisone injections, our Podiatrists may give you this option if the pain is severe.
• Stretching exercises
• Yoga for your toes and calves may help alleviate your discomfort. Stretch several times a day, beginning in the morning. Roll a towel, step on it with the ball of your foot and pull on both ends equally with your hands.
• Always remember that comfortable shoes are your greatest asset in treating and/or preventing painful foot conditions.
• Orthotics (custom shoe inserts) are available through your New York City podiatrist.

More Invasive Treatments Available

Never be afraid to discuss any issues with our Podiatrists; your problems are a lot more common than you realize. If simple preventive measures or less invasive treatments don’t improve your plantar fasciitis pain, your New York podiatrist can suggest splints that you wear at night. Your foot doctor can recommend medicine to relieve the pain and inflammation caused by plantar fasciitis. While drug treatment doesn’t cure your condition, reducing your pain and discomfort improves your ability to follow other prescribed treatment steps.

Other possible treatments include corticosteroid shots in your heel. Plantar fasciitis surgery is usually the last option. Normally, your foot doctor won’t even suggest surgery as a possibility unless your case is extreme or you’ve been living in pain for six months to a year. Plantar fascia removal surgery is only performed on about five out of every 100 people suffering from this health condition.

The main procedures used by podiatrist include:

• Plantar fascia release: This procedure involves cutting the ligament to relieve the tension and inflammation.
• Other surgery: Sometimes, other operations are done along with the plantar fascia release. These can include removing heel spurs, as well as loosening or stretching specific foot nerves.

Outlook: Positive

Plantar fasciitis accompanies injuries that have occurred gradually over the course of time. Your podiatrist can help you experience less pain in as little as a few weeks. And as with most illnesses, the sooner you visit a podiatrist in New York City, the better chance you have of stopping continued wear on your heels.

It may take months or years for your pain to dissipate completely, but only by following the instructions of your doctor of podiatric medicine can you get to the end of that tunnel. Despite the pain you feel now, it’s possible to achieve lasting relief. Contact a podiatrist to start on the path to recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Important Reminder: This information is only intended to provide guidance, not a definitive medical advice. Please consult a foot doctor about your specific condition. Only a trained, experienced board-certified podiatrist or foot specialist can determine an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.

Do you have any questions about Plantar Fasciitis treatment in NYC? You can finally stop searching for a “plantar fasciitis doctor near me” and schedule an appointment with an internationally recognized, top podiatrist at Manhattan Foot Specialists. Please do not wait any longer and contact our office for a consultation.