Foot Pain


Foot pain is an extremely common complaint for people who spend a lot of time on their feet.  It is rare for anyone to go through life without a bout of heel pain since that most people take up to of 10,000 steps a day!  That is a lot of pounding on your heels.

The biggest problem with heel pain is that it’s hard to do anything when it feels like there is a nail stuck in your foot!  It affects everything you do including work, playing with your kids, and your exercise routine.

Risk Factors:

  • Walking/ standing on hard surfaces at work
  • Wearing shoes with a heel (men and women)
  • Shoes poorly matched to your feet
  • Being overweight
  • Poor flexibility/ joint mobility
  • Starting a new exercise program (walking, running, exercise classes, etc.)

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is causing my heel pain?

Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of the heel pain we see in our clinics.  The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that supports the arch of your foot.  When this connective tissue gets inflamed, it’s hard for your body to resolve the problem without help from a physical therapist because of the thousands of times a day you take a step and irritate it.  Other causes of heel pain include medial and lateral plantar nerve irritation and a fracture in the heel.  Finding out the cause is the first step you need to take to get rid of it.

How do I get rid of it?

That depends on what is causing your heel pain.  That is why it is so important to find the cause.  The good news is that most heel pain resolves with physical therapy and does not require surgery.  In our clinics, the largest indicator of success in terms of eliminating the pain and the length of time it takes to get rid of the pain, is how quickly our therapists get our hands on the problem.  The good news is that 95% of heel pain patients achieve a successful outcome with physical therapy and avoid surgery.

Do I need to see my doctor first?

No.  Louisiana is a Direct Access state.  This means you do not need to go to your doctor to get a prescription.  We work closely with several podiatrists in the communities we serve, so if you do need to see a doctor, we will set that up for you.

Will my heel pain go away on its own?

It’s possible, but not likely.  Unfortunately, most of our heel pain patients think “Well, maybe it will just go away.”  The problem with that is, the longer you go with heel pain, the longer it takes us to fix it.  Pain is a warning signal in your body telling you something is wrong.  Waiting for the pain to go away is not a good strategy.  The quicker you get in to see a qualified physical therapist, the faster you can be on your road to recovery.

What should I do now?

The first step to eliminating your pain is finding out what is causing it.  Call 337-993-2766 right now, and schedule your Free Screen at any of our locations.  You will get a free 30 minute appointment with one of our therapists so that you can get all your questions answered.