When Does Plantar Fasciitis Really Need Surgery?
If you’ve been battling that awful, sharp stabbing pain in your heel no matter what you do, you’ve probably wondered if surgery is the only way to make it stop. Plantar fasciitis is notorious for being stubborn, but here’s the most reassuring fact you need to know: surgery is the last resort here at Desert Podiatric Medical Specialists. However, for particularly stubborn cases of plantar fasciitis, do not worry: you are in great hands. Here’s how to delineate the line between plantar fasciitis that needs surgery and plantar fasciitis that doesn’t.
Conservative Plantar Fasciitis Care
Plantar fasciitis is essentially an overuse and strain injury to a thick ligament, so your first line of defense should always be conservative care, and it is usually highly effective.
This involves several non-invasive strategies working together: stretching (especially your tight calf muscles), wearing supportive shoes and custom orthotics to correct biomechanics, using a night splint to stretch the fascia while you sleep, and controlling acute pain with rest and ice.
We’ll typically give these committed efforts time to work, often for several months. Patience is a virtue.
When Is It Time for Plantar Fasciitis Surgery?
So, when does a podiatrist finally bring up surgery? Only when the pain is chronic, debilitating, and has resisted every other treatment option available.
You must usually be dealing with persistent, severe pain that has lasted for at least six to twelve months—sometimes even longer—despite consistent efforts with orthotics, physical therapy, and other injections. Surgery is the last resort because it’s invasive and requires dedicated recovery time.
What Plantar Fasciitis Surgery Does
The procedure most commonly used is a plantar fasciotomy (which can be done with small incisions using an endoscope).
This surgery is straightforward: the surgeon carefully cuts a small portion of the tight plantar fascia ligament to release the tension.
This release reduces the chronic pull on the heel bone that has caused the inflammation and micro-tears. Goodbye to the mechanical overload that’s been causing you pain.
Alternatives Before Plantar Fasciitis Surgery
Even before traditional surgery, many podiatrists turn to advanced, minimally invasive alternatives. These include Radial Pulse Therapy or Shockwave Therapy, which use targeted sound waves to break up scar tissue and stimulate the body’s natural healing response.
The key takeaway is that you should try every non-surgical path first. If you find yourself in that small percentage of people whose pain genuinely won’t respond, surgery offers a very effective solution to restore comfort and mobility.
If you’re experiencing foot pain, discomfort, or changes in how you walk, come see the expert team at Desert Podiatric Medical Specialists. With locations in Tucson and Oro Valley areas of Pima County, Arizona, Bradley A. Whitaker, D.P.M., FACFAS, Peter C. Merrill, D.P.M., AACFAS, and Zeno Pfau, D.P.M., are here for you. Call us at (520) 575-0800 or contact us online!
