Plantar Fasciitis
The band of thick, fibrous tissue that connects your toes to your heel bones — running across the entire bottom of your foot — is called the plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis occurs when that ligament becomes inflamed and causes you to seek plantar fasciitis treatment in Midtown Manhattan.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain, heel pain in particular. Most noticeably, the condition causes strong, stabbing pains in your foot when you first step out of bed in the morning. The pain usually subsides after a few hours and then worsens again as the day goes on and you spend more time on your feet.
Plantar Fasciitis NYC — SPIN Sports Pain Specialists
Ready to get relief from plantar fasciitis?
Same-day plantar fasciitis appointments available.
At-Risk Treatment Plantar Fasciitis Candidates
In New York City, your sports medicine doctor and pain management specialist mostly see plantar fasciitis in runners. And once you get an inflamed plantar fascia, the discomfort becomes especially bothersome because it can take months before it heals. On top of that, it's very difficult to find running shoes that help to alleviate the pain. In addition to running, other situations can lead to your desire for plantar fasciitis treatments. These include:
Being overweight
The excess pressure on your feet takes its toll on your ligaments.
Aging
The condition commonly forms between the ages of 40 and 60, but can hit younger athletes too.
Walking abnormally
An awkward gait or having flat feet or high arches can strain your plantar fascia.
Working
Jobs that require you to be on your feet all day, especially on hard surfaces, like in a store or factory floor, put you at greater risk.
Exercise
Certain movements that require ballistic jumping, such as in aerobic dancing and ballet, place significant stress on the plantar fascia, requiring treatment for plantar fasciitis.
Warning Signs and Symptoms
With plantar fasciitis, you don't always feel the pain in your feet while you're running or exercising. More often, it hurts when you stop. Just like when you first rise in the morning, you also may feel the pain worse when you get up after sitting for a while.
You may feel the pain in your heel at the end of a long day on your feet or after wearing shoes with a hard soles. The pain is sharp and feels like something stabbing your heel. Seek plantar fasciitis treatment as soon as possible to prevent further complications and to learn how to adjust your workout or work life so you won't be out of commission for more than a few weeks.
Additionally, without appropriate plantar fasciitis treatment, you may unknowingly adjust the way you stand, walk and move which can lead to back pain, herniated discs, or muscle spasms. That's another reason to seek treatment early.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatments
For the most part, your treatment plantar fasciitis options mostly rely on home care and non-invasive techniques such as:
Once you've seen your Manhattan sports doctor and received a firm plantar fasciitis diagnosis, you can take steps so that you can keep running while you undergo plantar fasciitis treatment. With your doctor's supervision, you may try:
Your sports medicine doctor may suggest more invasive treatment for plantar fasciitis if you don't get any relief from home remedies. The next level of plantar fasciitis treatment includes:
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Sound waves sent to your painful heel stimulate healing. When other plantar fasciitis treatments don't work for a chronic condition, this may help. On the other hand, it can cause more pain, numbness, tingling, bruising and swelling.
Injections. You can get temporary relief when steroid medication is injected into your heel, but too many injections can lead to a ligament rupture.
Scar tissue removal. A procedure called Tenex involves removing painful scar tissue as a plantar fasciitis treatment without surgery.
It's rare that you need this procedure, but it may become necessary if your pain is debilitating. Surgery as a treatment for plantar fasciitis involves detaching the plantar fascia from your heel bone. The effect is to weaken your arch, but at least it won't hurt anymore.
Ready to find relief from plantar fasciitis?
Dr. Melepura's Midtown Manhattan clinic offers same-day appointments for evaluation and treatment.
Real Stories from our Patients
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD
Double Board-Certified Pain Specialist
Meet Dr. Febin Melepura — Your Plantar Fasciitis Specialist in NYC
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD is a double board-certified interventional pain management specialist and the founder of the Sports Pain Institute of New York. He completed his residency and fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.
He holds dual board certifications from the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, and has treated more than 7,500 patients and performed over 5,250 procedures throughout his career. He has been named a Top Pain Management Doctor in New York and one of America's Top Doctors™ by Castle Connolly.
Dr. Melepura's approach to plantar fasciitis is rooted in precision: identify the exact source, treat it with a targeted injection, and get you back to your daily life as quickly as possible.
Ready to Book an Appointment?
Same-day appointments available. Call (212) 621-7746 or book online.
What Our Plantar Fasciitis Patients Say
"Able to make an appointment to see Dr. Melepura on short notice… attentive to my concerns… Jazmin was also very kind and helpful."
"Excellent hospitality, listener and explainer… highly recommend the doctor and the place."
"Dr. Melepura is the best! He worked with me to find the optimal solution to my shoulder pain while I was preparing for a fight!"
"Lovely, bright and modern… doctor and staff were kind… felt my concerns were heard."
"Helpful and friendly staff who gladly follows up with you if and when needed. Dr Melepura was very helpful and professional as well as provided me with excellent information and feedback."
"Dr Febin is fantastic! Highly recommend him and his practice the Spin clinic. The doctor is a good listener, kind, attentive and gave me great advice. "
"Dr.Melepura was very efficient and interpersonal, felt like he was understanding the problems I was having and explained the processes to take to rehabilitate. I would recommend."
"I felt listened to and truly understood by Dr. Melepura. Started PT the very next day. They were very friendly and I didn't feel rushed at all. Already recommended them to my friends who have or continue to play through pain."