The libraryStrength
Fix Your Heel Pain
Plantar fasciitis
Also called Heel pain, Heel spur, Heel pain in the morning
Who it's forA man aged 18 to 45 whose heel hurts underneath, worst on the first steps of the morning.
When to see a doctor
- 911: a hot, red, swollen heel or foot with a very high temperature, a fast heartbeat or breathing, dizziness or confusion. It can be a spreading infection.
- 911: after an injury, a bone through the skin, severe bleeding, or a foot that is pale, cold, clammy or blue.
- Get seen the same day (urgent care) for severe heel pain after a fall, jump or injury. The same for a snap or pop, a foot at an odd angle, or if you cannot walk, tiptoe or climb stairs. It can be a broken heel bone.
- Urgent care or your doctor today: a hot, swollen, painful heel or joint with no injury, most of all if you feel unwell or shivery.
- A doctor: tingling, burning or loss of feeling in the foot; heel pain with diabetes; bone pain that is worse at night, a lump, or weight loss without trying.
- A doctor: pain that is severe or stops normal life, is getting worse, keeps coming back, or has not improved after 2 weeks of home care. Both heels with a stiff back, psoriasis or bowel disease: ask about a rheumatologist.
- A physical therapist or podiatrist: a heel that has not settled with home care. Many areas let you refer yourself for physical therapy. A specialist, less often, to talk about surgery.
I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Every dose on this page is the one a trial or a label used, quoted from it. It is not a prescription. Talk to a physician who has your history before any medicine or procedure. Heel pain after an injury, a hot swollen heel with a fever, night pain or numbness: see a doctor.