Getting the right medical assistance from your podiatrist, Dr. Peter Siroka, can relieve your plantar fasciitis discomfort in Stamford, CT.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia, a connective tissue band on your feet. It's a painful foot condition that can make walking or standing for extended periods uncomfortable. Usually, plantar fasciitis pain begins when you take your first steps of the day or after a long rest period.

Plantar fasciitis generally manifests as heel pain but you may also experience some foot tenderness and stiffness. Plantar fasciitis is often caused by repetitive injury to your plantar fascia. Your weight, shoes, and foot shape can contribute to plantar fasciitis development.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Treatment for plantar fasciitis is usually conservative. It might take some time for the treatments to effectively resolve your heel pain. However, trusting your podiatrist's treatment plan for your plantar fasciitis in Stamford, CT, is crucial for positive results. Plantar fasciitis treatments include:

Rest

You might not want to hear it, especially if you're an athlete or spend lots of time on your feet but rest is an essential step to resolving plantar fasciitis. Complete inactivity might not be practical. However, your podiatrist can help you develop a plan that features intermittent rest periods. You may also need to give up specific physical activities that aggravate your condition.

Change Your Shoes

Sometimes, simply getting a new pair of shoes is instrumental to improving foot pain. Older shoes become less supportive with age and may worsen your symptoms. You may also be wearing the wrong type of shoe and your podiatrist can help you fix that.

Medication

Anti-inflammatory medications help decrease your discomfort from plantar fasciitis. Your podiatrist may give you cortisone injections to manage inflammation. Putting ice on your heel may also help relieve your discomfort and inflammation.

Stretching Exercises and Physical Therapy

Stretching and strengthening exercises are typically effective treatments for plantar fasciitis. These exercises can help strengthen specific foot muscles. Physical therapy can also help restore foot function.

Orthotic Devices

Orthotic devices from your podiatrist can help support your feet to reduce your plantar fasciitis pain. Custom orthotic devices from your podiatrist are better suited to improve your foot condition than over-the-counter options.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)

If your plantar fasciitis fails to improve after about six months of conservative treatments, your podiatrist may recommend ESWT. Here, your podiatrist uses sonic waves to encourage healing in your heel.

Surgery

When your plantar fasciitis doesn't improve with conservative therapies, your podiatrist may recommend surgery to release your plantar fascia.

Treating plantar fasciitis in Stamford, CT, with your podiatrist, Dr. Siroka, can help rid you of heel pain. Call (203) 614-8185 to schedule your consultation today.