Heel Pain Explained: Meet Plantar Fasciitis

There are many fantastic family activities here in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth community. A trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is exciting for curious-minded youngsters, but all the walking entailed can put a damper on the day when you have heel pain. Wandering around permanent exhibits like Energy Blast, DinoLabs & DinoDig, Innovation Studios, and the Cattle Raisers Museum can aggravate it. If you sit down for a while to watch a movie in the IMAX dome or a planetarium show and feel a sharp, shooting pain under your heel when you stand up again, it might be plantar fasciitis.

Looking at this common source of heel pain begins with the plantar fascia. This connective tissue bridges the heel to the toes along the bottom of the foot. It provides structure and support for the arch, and can be thought of as a bowstring (with the arch being the “bow” in this image).

The fascia is durable and acts like a shock absorber, but too much pressure over time can damage or even tear the fibrous tissue. When this happens, the body works to repair the damage during periods of downtime, but the tissue becomes inflamed and causes heel stiffness and discomfort.

The intense, sharp pain is often experienced with the initial steps following rest. The reason behind this is simply that the mending tissue is subjected to pressure and the tears reopen. The subsequent pain is your body’s way of letting you know that you have a problem.

Some risk factors make this injury more likely:

Age. This condition tends to be quite common between the ages of 40 and 60.
Exercise. High-impact activities (dance aerobics, long-distance running) place excessive stress and lead to earlier onset of plantar fasciitis.
Obesity. Extra weight means extra pressure on the plantar fascia.
Biomechanical abnormalities. Flatfoot, high arches, and abnormal gait patterns affect the way physical forces are distributed across the foot and can contribute to problems.

If painful heels are interfering with your life and stripping away the enjoyment from activities like days at the Fort Worth Museum with your family, we can help. Our doctors at Dallas Podiatry Works will provide an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan to restore your health. Call us at 972.853.7100 for additional information or to request a visit with us. You can also schedule your appointment at either our Dallas or Plano, TX offices online today.

The doctor has great “bedside manners” when talking to patients. Great staff and comfortable atmosphere.

Derrick W.

The staff at Dallas Podiatry Works could not have been more courteous, helpful, and professional in doing their job. They made me feel comfortable when I was there, which is certainly appreciated. They answered all the questions that I had and just made each visit the most pleasurable that it could be. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing this type of foot care.

Joseph B.

I would highly recommend Dr. Brook to anyone with foot problems–especially problems that stump other podiatrists. He really is very caring and very knowledgeable.

Jeannette H.

Dr. Joel Brook and the staff were nice and helpful. Though I was a new patient, I got right in as soon as they were open in my preferred location. They diagnosed the problem and provided medicines along with a perfect gel bandage so I could keep exercising while my toes healed. My toes already hurt less and look a little better each day. If I have future issues, I will be a repeat customer. Here’s hoping I don’t, but at least I know my feet are in good hands.

Meryl E.

I visited this office for an ingrown toe nail a few years ago. After seeing another doctor, who made it worse, he referred me to Dallas Podiatry Works. The doctor there was able to fix my problem. I’m not great with reviews, all I can tell you is that this doctor and staff will have you up and running or doing whatever it is you do in no time. You will be in great hands. You’d be a fool not to use this doctor. Now its time to visit him again for the other toe.

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Been having bad ankle pains for 6 months was referred here and it was a great visit ladies in the front desk medical assistants and the Doctor were all very friendly and make you feel very comfortable.