How to Find Lasting Plantar Fasciitis Relief
Mar 18, 2025
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Plantar fasciitis is an uncomfortable condition caused by wear-and-tear of your plantar fascia (the tissue band along the bottom of your foot). Plantar fasciitis causes pain in your heel that makes it hard to walk or stand and is particularly uncomfortable in the morning.
While it can be difficult to treat this condition, plantar fasciitis can be managed in ways that allow you to feel less or no pain for long periods. In addition, there are multiple treatments available. Southwest Foot & Ankle in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers options for plantar fasciitis, most of which provide lasting relief.
Our providers — Petrina C. Lewis, DPM, FACFAS, and Mark T. Lewis, DPM, FACFAS, — understand the difficulty of living with plantar fasciitis. As such, our staff wants to make sure you experience the relief you need so you can continue living your life.
Millions of people in the United States complain annually of heel pain, and often the culprit is this common, wear-and-tear condition. With plantar fasciitis being such a prevalent problem, you’d think it would be easy to treat and heal, but that’s not necessarily the case.
For one thing, stretching and rest are some of the most helpful treatments for plantar fasciitis, and patients tend to do too little of one or both. For another, most people are on their feet a lot, even if they don’t have a job that requires it. And finally, many don’t understand how long it can take for plantar fasciitis to heal, causing them to backslide.
However, there are treatments that make long-term recovery from plantar fasciitis possible. And in many cases, patients need to try them out for themselves to discover what works best.
As previously stated, rest and stretching are very important to long-term recovery from plantar fasciitis. This may mean physical therapy.
It can be hard, painstaking work, but it’s often one of the best treatments for plantar fasciitis pain. Even if you do stretches on your own, only consistent practice will create lasting relief.
Several types of injections for plantar fasciitis can help minimize your pain and allow you better range of movement and all-around comfort. The first is PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, which involves drawing some of your blood, spinning it in a centrifuge to separate out the PRP, and injecting it into the part of your foot experiencing pain. It’s safe, effective, and minimizes your discomfort.
Botox is another injectable that can help manage pain and make physical therapy easier. Steroid injections can have a similar effect. Which of these treatments best suits your needs depends on your situation, and your provider can help you make the best choice.
Shockwave therapy uses high-frequency sound waves to kick your body’s natural healing process into gear. The soundwaves cause microtraumas under your skin that don’t cause pain but help your body start managing the condition more readily. This treatment doesn’t require an injection and is well tolerated.
Another option is custom orthotics, or insoles, created by your provider to go inside your shoe. Orthotics provide support that helps manage the pain of your plantar fasciitis and redistribute your weight to a healthy balance. Orthotics are made to fit your foot and often last for years if well cared for.
Sometimes we use a combination of treatments to manage plantar fasciitis, but for some people, none of these options provide long-term relief — even if used together. In this case, surgery might be the best answer. While it’s usually utilized as a last resort, surgery can provide long-term relief when nothing else does.
You can find help for your plantar fasciitis pain by reaching out to our team at Southwest Foot & Ankle so we can discuss available options. Sometimes, multiple treatments are needed to attain the desired effect, but there’s every reason to believe that one or more of these options will provide you with long-term relief from your symptoms.
Make an appointment at our office today by calling 480-900-7399 or scheduling a visit online. We’re here to help!