Heel Pain

What causes heel pain?

Heel pain can be the result of an injury, overuse, arthritis, nerve irritation, and sometimes, cysts. However, the majority of heel pain is due to plantar fasciitis. Your plantar fascia is a band of tissue that extends from your heel to your toes.

Plantar fasciitis is a degenerative condition in which repetitive micro-tears in the plantar fascia impede your body’s ability to repair itself and results in inflammation.

How do you diagnose plantar fasciitis?

Your US Neuropathy Centers doctor performs a physical exam to assess how tender your foot is and to pinpoint the exact location of your pain. They may press on your plantar fascia and ask you to flex your foot to see if the pain gets worse and ask questions about your symptoms.

Your doctor at US Neuropathy Centers also assesses the health of your nerves and muscles and checks your:

• Reflexes
• Muscle tone
• Sensitivity to touch
• Balance
• Coordination

Your doctor may order additional imaging tests like an X-ray or MRI scan to rule out any other potential causes of heel pain.

How do you treat heel pain?

The team at US Neuropathy Centers aims to reduce inflammation and address the underlying cause of your heel pain.

Treatments begin with the most conservative approach first. If your heel pain is due to nerve damage from a compressed nerve, your doctor can suggest various treatments to decompress the nerve and reduce inflammation.

If your heel pain is due to plantar fasciitis, your doctor may recommend a program of orthotics and stretching. They may also prescribe medication to reduce your inflammation and pain.

For patients who don’t see a difference with orthotics, injections, special shoes, or stretching, or have experienced failed plantar fasciitis treatments, the team at US Neuropathy Centers also offers:

Endoscopic plantar fasciotomy

This procedure can provide relief from symptoms of plantar fasciitis and is minimally invasive, which allows patients to return to their daily activities quicker than major heel surgery.

Using an endoscope allows your surgeon to treat the plantar fascia without disturbing surrounding healthy tissue.

Ultrasound-guided partial plantar fasciectomy

The ultrasound-guided partial plantar fasciotomy is an effective treatment for the pain from plantar fasciitis as it allows for your surgeon to visualize the inside of your heel using ultrasound technology.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment for heel pain

During this procedure, your provider at US Neuropathy Centers draws a small amount of blood from your body and runs it through a centrifuge to separate the platelets from other blood matter.

This platelet-rich solution is injected back into targeted areas of your foot and uses your blood’s natural healing capabilities to promote cellular regeneration and reduce your heel pain.

Stem cell treatment for heel pain

During stem cell therapy, a team member delivers concentrated doses of stem cells into your plantar fascia via targeted injections. Stem cells are your body’s most basic building block and they have the ability to become any type of specialized cell that your body requires.

The stem cells injected into your plantar fascia help repair and regenerate damaged areas of tissue, and provide much-needed pain relief.

To learn more about these and other innovative therapies available at US Neuropathy Centers for heel pain, call the office or use the online scheduler to book an appointment today.