How to Treat Heel Pain and Get Back on Your Feet

Heel pain can sneak up on you after long days on your feet, from overuse during workouts, or even from an underlying condition like plantar fasciitis. The reality is that millions of Americans deal with heel pain every day.

Heel pain isn’t something you can easily brush off, though. Sharp or aching pain can interfere with walking, exercise, and even daily activities. But what can you do about it? A lot!

Our team at NYC Foot & Ankle Center in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood of the Upper West Side can help you get the relief you need from heel pain. 

Conservative care comes first

The NYC Foot & Ankle Center team always starts with the least invasive options to relieve your discomfort and restore mobility. 

Depending on your needs, we may recommend:

• Ice and over-the-counter pain relievers to reduce inflammation
• Custom orthotics that redistribute pressure away from your heel
• Physical therapy to strengthen and stretch your foot and ankle
• Taping to support your heel and arch during movement

These conservative treatments often bring significant relief within weeks. You can also combine multiple conservative treatments at the same time.

When conservative treatments aren’t enough

If your symptoms don’t improve with conservative treatments, you’re not out of options. We may recommend corticosteroid injections, advanced treatments like shockwave therapy, or, if needed, surgery.

Corticosteroid injections 

Steroid injections deliver a strong anti-inflammatory medicine directly into the painful area of your heel. They reduce swelling and irritation, so you feel less pain and move more easily. 

Because they can reduce pain, these injections allow you to get back to your normal activities, while other treatments, like physical therapy or orthotics, help your heel recover.

Shockwave therapy

During shockwave therapy, your doctor directs targeted electrical currents into your heel bone and surrounding tissues. It’s noninvasive and doesn’t require any downtime.

As a result of the targeted electrical energy, your body naturally creates new blood vessels that bring more blood (and nutrients) to the inflamed areas. 

Shockwave therapy can also overstimulate nerve endings, which helps reduce pain almost immediately. It can break down calcifications (a common occurrence in 78.2% of people with heel pain) and increase cell permeability.

The result? Increased circulation, reduced inflammation, and faster healing.

Surgery

In rare cases, when other methods don’t provide relief, our team may recommend minimally invasive surgery. Even then, we prioritize conservative care first, exhausting every other option before recommending surgery.

Does your heel hurt? Let us know!

Don’t let heel pain prevent you from living an active life. Call our office today to take your first step toward recovery.