4 Plantar Fasciitis Treatments That Can Help Relieve Heel Pain

Plantar fasciitis 一 the inflammation of your plantar fascia 一 is notoriously painful and can quickly affect your ability to walk comfortably from point A to point B. Although over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can temporarily reduce your pain and inflammation, they aren't a long-term solution nor do they address the root cause of your plantar fasciitis. 

Below, Dr. Dustin Hamoy, DPT, MTC, DNC, CKTP, CWCHP, highlights four different plantar fasciitis treatments that can help relieve your heel pain.

1. Lifestyle adjustments and at-home treatments

Plantar fasciitis pain can be managed with many at-home treatments, including:

• Applying cold compresses to your heel (you can roll your foot over frozen water bottles or slip on ice packs specifically designed for feet)
• Rest 一 an important point especially if overtraining contributed to your plantar fasciitis
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Taking pain relief medication, as directed

Because being overweight and overtraining (particularly increasing running mileage by more than 10% each week) are two risk factors for plantar fasciitis, it’s important to make lifestyle adjustments to address both of these risk factors. You may need to ease up on your training until the inflammation subsides. Additionally, losing weight can be a long-term strategy to help reduce future recurrences of plantar fasciitis. 

2. Laser therapy

Here at Precision Laser Joint and Spine Pain Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland, we can help you get the relief you need from plantar fasciitis with cutting-edge treatments, including multiwave locked system (MLS®) laser therapy from ASA Laser. 

MLS laser therapy helps to treat plantar fasciitis in a few ways. The dual infrared light wavelengths penetrate the tissue in your foot and:

• Stimulates cellular renewal
• Improves circulation (which brings more blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients to your plantar fascia)
• Reduces pain (thanks to the healing factors in increased blood flow that help promote healing and pain reduction)

Laser therapy is noninvasive and doesn’t involve any needles or injections. You may feel warmth during your treatment, making it an easy addition to a comprehensive treatment plan.

3. Orthotics and splints

Splints and orthotics can also help relieve your heel pain. Splints and orthotics are sometimes discussed together, but they work differently. Orthotics are medical devices that are inserted into your shoes to help correct any structural abnormalities and/or redistribute pressure on your feet evenly.

In contrast, splints are worn at night while you sleep. They keep your feet in “active” mode, which stretches your plantar fascia while you sleep.

4. Physical therapy

Yet another treatment option for plantar fasciitis is physical therapy. Our team creates a customized physical therapy program to help reduce your pain, improve functionality in your feet, stretch your Achilles tendon, and strengthen your lower leg muscles. We can also teach you how to apply athletic taping to the bottom of your foot. Athletic tape can provide additional support to the bottom of your foot.

Comprehensive treatment plans for your heel pain

When it comes to plantar fasciitis, you don’t have to choose just one treatment. In fact, addressing plantar fasciitis from multiple angles can be the best way to support your foot health. Dr. Hamoy and our team know that lifestyle adjustments, losing weight, laser therapy, and physical therapy all complement one another quite nicely.

To find out if MLS laser therapy is right for you or to get started with physical therapy, call Precision Laser Joint and Spine Pain Center at 410-324-2968, or book an appointment online.