Best plantar fasciitis doctor near me Los Angeles

Learn about plantar fasciitis help in Los Angeles

Our DPMs understand the intricacies of comprehensive foot care. They are expertly equipped to address new patients' foot pain -- especially plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is a medical way of describing what happens when the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, causing heel pain and stiffness. The plantar fascia is a dense ligament that runs from your heel to the front part of your foot and supports the arch.

Our podiatrists are trained at seeking out the root cause of your plantar fasciitis and treat patients from all over California. Our new patients often realize that previous podiatrists may have stopped short of discovering the root cause of their plantar fasciitis.  The result: continued foot pain.

Podiatrists reveal causes for plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a chronic condition, almost never caused by a single trauma to the foot. Causes include:

• Flat feet
• Shoes with poor arch support
• Long-distance running
• Tight calf muscles and Achilles tendons
• High arches

Los Angeles podiatrists diagnose plantar fasciitis

It would be a mistake to say every type of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. That's why UFAI DPMs use advanced technologies to accurately diagnose your foot pain. These include:

• X-rays to check foot alignment and heel spurs and stress fractures of the heel bone.
• Ultrasound uses real-time imaging of the plantar fascia while the foot is moved to various positions.
• Occasionally, an MRI is required to examine the fascia, tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage, and joints. UFAI has a dedicated foot and ankle MRI designed for the patient to sit comfortably outside the machine.
• Heel pain is often diagnosed with neurosensory testing. This non-painful examination is used when there is burning, tingling, or shooting pain in the heel.

Conservative plantar fasciitis treatment in Los Angeles

Almost all (70 percent) of our patients with heel pain find relief through physical therapy, orthotics, or changing shoes.

Other conservative treatments include icing for heel pain, heat for foot pain, massage for ligament pain and tendonitis, plantar fasciitis night splints, anti-inflammatory medications for pain relief, and steroid injections for heel pain.

Advanced options for plantar fasciitis treatment

The majority of our patients respond well to conservative treatment options. However, in chronic cases when plantar fasciitis symptoms have lasted more than six months, our podiatrists explore ways to increase blood flow to injured tissue.

These innovative treatments are used for plantar fasciitis, sports injuries, and sprains for pain relief.

Treatments include:

• Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP). PRP injections use growth factors in the blood to cause inflammation to the plantar fasciitis that reduces heel pain.
• Shockwave therapy. This non-invasive treatment option allows new blood to flow into the plantar fascia and provides pain relief in about three months.
• Relef. This relatively new treatment for podiatry is a restorative technique that involves radiofrequency heat to break up scar tissue in the plantar fascia.

• Botulinum toxin (commonly known as Botox) injections. This prescription medicine is injected into the plantar fascia to relieve spasticity, stiffness, and swelling.

Endoscopic plantar fascia surgery

When foot problems become severe and do not respond to conservative treatments, endoscopic surgery may be the only option.

UFAI surgeons have developed an innovative approach for plantar fasciitis release. Making just two tiny incisions, our podiatrists use a tiny knife to remove the fascia near the heel. Patients usually use a boot for about three weeks.

Why choose UFAI in Los Angeles

Our experienced podiatric care, combined with a personalized approach to your case, sets UFAI far above other offices.

We are a full-service clinic, taking care of all your foot needs. Our services include bunions, hammertoes, neuroma, ankle surgery, metatarsalgia, warts, and toenail problems.

Our Los Angeles offices

Downtown Los Angeles

1245 Wilshire Blvd.

Suite 306

Los Angeles, CA 90017

213-878-1107

Mid-City

5901 W Olympic Blvd.

Suite 509

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(310) 461-2002

We ask that you alert the office if you have or have been exposed to COVID-19 or have been around anyone who has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus or if you have traveled anywhere on an airplane.

 About Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the largest city in California. Home to about four million people, it is the second-most populous city in the United States and the third-most populous city in North America. Known for its movie stars and Los Angeles Lakers, the city is a magnet for visitors from worldwide.