How Doctors Treat Painful Plantar Fasciitis

You might be right: if you’ve been experiencing foot pains and don’t know what’s going on, you could have sprained your ankle or have put too much strain on it walking.
But the issue could be more serious than that, too.

Plantar faciitus is a condition where the plantar fascia, a muscle in your foot that exists to support your arches while walking, becomes too taut. When this happens, your tendons are stretched too tight and walking can become incredibly painful.

If it gets too severe, the muscle can tear and lead to more severe issues as well. That’s why it’s important to talk to a doctor if you’re experiencing foot pain that you think might be plantar faciitus. There are treatments out there that can help.

Here, we’re going to tell you all about the medical treatments for plantar faciitus and get plantar faciitus relief to help get you back on your feet!

Medication Treatments

As with most medical issues, one option for treating plantar faciitus is to take medication. These treatments include various pills you can take that will help with the stretching and inflammation of the tendon.

When the pain is manageable, over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, Tylenol, or Advil might do the trick. Assuming you stay off your feet too much, pain relief pills like these can do wonders for you.

But what if this isn’t enough relief? What if you can’t afford to stay off your feet all day? Surely, there must be another option.

Unfortunately, most of the medications taken to treat plantar faciitus are these common medicines. There are, however, more heavy-duty painkillers that you can get from a doctor’s prescription. Opioids and narcotics are used as pain relief for a lot of conditions like this one.

No matter what you think is best, always be careful to monitor your medication with a doctor. If you aren’t interested in medication, that’s fine, too- there are other treatments out there that may be even more effective in the long-term.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is one of the most widely prescribed treatments for plantar faciitus. And with good reason- it’s one of the most effective ways to soothe and ease your pain in both the short and long term.

Outside the therapy office, you might want to think about wearing a brace on your ankle. This will compress the stretched tendons and soothe the pain that naturally comes with walking.

When you go to the physical therapist, these professionals will assist you in performing some exercises with your feet. This can mean toe stretches, massaging the arches of your feet slowly, or moving your ankles up to touch your thigh.

Basically, the therapist will assist you in doing some stretches that are intended to strengthen your muscles and soothe pain long-term. They will probably also give you a list of exercises to do at home so you don’t lose muscle strength between appointments.

Shock-Wave Treatments

A lot of people also use shock wave treatments to help with plantar faciitus. This likely sounds scary to you, and rightfully so. After all, who wants an electrical current running through their body and jolting their muscles?

Well, as it turns out, you might. Shock wave treatments, when done at low settings per the usual procedure, are usually not painful at all. Mild discomfort may be experienced, but even that isn’t something that happens all the time. If you need heavier shock treatments, you’ll be put under during them so you won’t even feel a thing.

Basically, the point of shock wave treatment is to induce microtrauma to the harmful tissues that are building up in your feet. Because of this small amount of trauma to tissue, the body is shocked into releasing healing chemicals. This means that nutrients will be released into the foot and they will be absorbed, reducing pain and initiating muscle repair.

There have been positive results showing that shock-wave treatments can help with plantar faciitus. Plus, it’s a good non-invasive alternative to surgery and a less time-consuming alternative to long-term physical therapy.

Surgical Procedures

Some people want to go beyond the treatment of their plantar faciitus symptoms. They want to eliminate the issue altogether. While this is a totally reasonable desire, it’s important to think about how this will actually work.

There are surgical procedures that can work wonders in healing those with plantar fasciitis. As a matter of fact, we offer a variety of podiatry services that can assist with this issue and help you learn more about possible surgical procedures.

While the idea of getting a surgery might make you shudder, it’s a really good option if you want to solve the root of the issue. While other kinds of treatment plans can limit pain in the short-term, they don’t change the fact that you’re living with plantar fasciitis. Getting an operation done can cure the problem rather than just providing a balm for the pain.

Get Plantar Fasciitis Relief

Plantar fasciitis can be painful, but luckily there are ways to soothe this pain and others to treat it permanently. Between medication, various types of therapy, and surgeries, you should be running through life at full speed in no time.

Now that you know all about plantar fasciitis relief, it’s time to find a treatment plan that’s right for you. Visit our page to set up an appointment and talk to knowledgeable health professionals.

Together, we can get you back on your feet.