Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in Dallas
Heel pain that hits with your first steps in the morning usually has a cause upstream of your foot. We find it.
What You Might Be Feeling
Common Ways People Describe It
Plantar fasciitis is irritation of the thick band of tissue along the bottom of your foot. People tend to say:
- "Sharp pain in my heel with my first steps out of bed"
- "It feels like a bruise on the bottom of my heel"
- "My arch aches after a long day on my feet"
- "It loosens up once I'm moving, then comes back after I sit"
Common Causes
- A sudden jump in mileage or time on your feet
- A stiff ankle or tight calves
- How your foot strikes the ground and rolls through each step
- Worn or unsupportive shoes
- Long days on hard floors
What Shapes Your Timeline
No two cases follow the same schedule. Your timeline depends on how long the problem has been building, your daily load on your feet and in training, your foot and ankle mechanics, and how the tissue responds as we adjust each of those. We reassess along the way and adjust the plan as you change.
What Treatment Looks Like Here
You work 1-on-1 with Dr. Lovelace and have direct access to the doctor at every visit. We start with an exam, usually including a 3D gait analysis, so your plan comes from measurements instead of guesses. Which tools we use after that depends on what the exam finds and what you need. We reassess as we go so you can see what's changing.
Pain often shows up away from where it starts. Your 3D movement assessment gives us baseline measurements, and a gait analysis shows what your hips, knees, ankles and feet do while you walk or run, so the plan targets the root cause. See how gait analysis works →
Common Approaches
- Rest, ice and stretching relieve symptoms and are a reasonable place to start. They don't change what is loading the tissue.
- Shoes and orthotics can help some people.
- Anti-inflammatory medicine and injections can reduce pain for a while. Talk with your MD about what fits you.
- Our approach adds measurement and a plan built around your root cause.
When It Might Be Something Else
Signs your pain may not be plantar fasciitis:
- Sudden severe pain or a pop
- Numbness, tingling or burning in the foot
- Swelling, redness or warmth
- Heel pain at rest or at night
- You can't put weight on the foot
- No improvement after several weeks
Most running pain follows a pattern. When yours doesn't, we want to know early. We can order imaging when it's warranted and share the results with your MD. We always recommend co-management with your MD to support your recovery, so everyone is working from the same information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions We Hear
No. A heel spur is a small bony growth on the heel bone. It shows up on imaging in some people with heel pain and in many people without it. Plantar fasciitis can happen with or without a spur, and the spur isn't always the source of the pain.
Not always. It depends on what the exam finds and how your foot responds. Many people stay active with a plan that adjusts training load while the tissue calms down. If the pain sharpens during a run, stop and get it checked.
The fascia tightens while you rest overnight, so your first steps load it suddenly. That's why the first steps after sleeping or sitting hurt most, and why the pain often eases as you warm up.
Other Running Injuries We Treat
Individual results vary. This page is educational and doesn't replace an exam or care from your physician.