Nix heel pain fast with these treatment options!
If you’ve been keeping up with football this season then you probably have heard that Denver Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning has been injured. He was recently diagnosed with a partially torn plantar fascia on his left foot. Unfortunately, you don’t have to be a star athlete or famous quarterback to sustain an injury to the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that runs under the foot from the heels to the toes. If you’re dealing with sudden or intense heel pain then it’s time to find out how your Jersey City podiatrist Dr. Edward Tjoe can help.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatments
Luckily, many people don’t have to deal with the same severity as Peyton Manning’s condition and can often experience a full recovery in a few short months through conservative treatment options. Here are some things you can do to manage your symptoms:
Pain Medications
One of the most common ways to reduce pain and inflammation caused by plantar fasciitis is to take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen. For those with more severe pain that doesn’t respond to OTC medications talk to your Jersey City foot doctor about whether a prescription pain reliever could help.
K-Laser Therapy
K-Laser Therapy has shown results for treating plantar fasciitis and heel pain. The non-invasive treatment safely penetrates deep tissue and stimulates the plantar fascia to heal. This procedure usually takes six to eight treatments and is administered twice weekly.
Specific Exercises and/or Physical Therapy
Your podiatrist in Jersey City, NJ may also advise you to do a series of stretching and strengthening exercises to help improve stability and mobility in the plantar fascia. Physical therapy may also be recommended to help stretch and restrengthen the plantar fascia, tendons and lower leg muscles.
Orthotics
We may prescribe customized orthotics or shoe inserts to help evenly distribute weight on your feet to take pressure off certain areas of the foot. Orthotics can be made from rigid, semi-rigid or soft materials and custom-made orthotics tends to be significantly more effective than the over-the-counter ones that you can purchase at your local drugstore.
Bracing
A night splint may also be suggested to help lengthen and stretch out the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon while also providing support.
More Aggressive Options
When conservative measures aren’t working, your foot doctor in Jersey City may also recommend any of these less conservative treatments:
Surgery: Very rarely is surgery necessary but if no other treatments are working and heel pain is severe then this may be the only way to alleviate your symptoms.
While Peyton Manning might be benched for a while, this doesn’t mean you do, too. Turn to Dr. Tjoe, your foot expert in Jersey City for all of your needs. Let Tjoe Podiatry treat all of your foot and ankle problems.
