Are you dealing with heel pain? You may be suffering from plantar fasciitis.

Have you noticed pain in your heel after your daily run? Has it become more difficult to stand for long periods of time or perform certain physical tasks at work because your heels hurt? If you said “yes” you could be dealing with a common inflammatory foot problem known as plantar fasciitis. From the office of our Albany, NY, podiatrists at Capital Region Foot Care, Drs. Marc Ginsburg, DPM and Steven Lam, DPM commonly treat the problem.

Here are the top warning signs that your heel pain is the result of plantar fasciitis:

Pain at the Bottom of the Heel

The location of your pain can tip our Albany, NY, foot doctors off to what might be causing your symptoms. Along with plantar fasciitis, conditions such as heel spurs and Achilles tendinitis can also be responsible for heel pain.

Therefore, by determining that your heel pain is located at the bottom of the heel we can rule out other issues and determine that your symptoms are due to plantar fasciitis. Conversely, if you experience heel pain above the heel bone, this is often an Achilles tendon issue.

Heel Pain that’s Worse in the Morning

If you wake up in the morning and notice that your heel pain is unbearable or severe when first moving around then you may be dealing with plantar fasciitis. This is one of the telltale signs of this condition. Heel pain often gets worse once you start moving after long periods of inactivity. The same pain may surface when getting up after spending hours at your desk.

Pain After Activity

While plantar fasciitis-related heel pain may surface after periods of inactivity, the same pain can occur after activity. If you have to stand or move around for work, or if you decide to exercise or go for a run, you may not notice much discomfort during the activity but you will most certainly notice the pain returning immediately after.

Tenderness

Along with heel pain, the heel itself may be tender or warm to the touch. It may even be swollen. It’s not uncommon for many plantar fasciitis sufferers to complain of both pain and stiffness in the heel and arches of the foot.

If this is the first time you are dealing with heel pain or if your heel pain isn’t responding to at-home care then it’s time to call Capital Region Foot Care in Albany, NY, to figure out what’s going on and how to treat the problem.