Plantar Fasciitis & Foot Pain Treatment in Annapolis, MD

Heel Spur is caused by strain to the tissues of the foot, especially the plantar fascia, resulting in calcium deposits. Sometimes the heel spur will cause pain where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone and sometimes it will not. Excessive stress to the feet, long periods of standing or running, obesity, and poor footwear can all cause heel spurs to form.

Metatarsalgia is another type of overuse injury but unlike a heel spur or plantar fasciitis, pain will be located in the ball of the foot and a person can also experience numbness and tingling. Inflammation of the metatarsals caused by repetitive stress like running, jumping, ill-fitting shoes or poor foot biomechanics, can all lead to metatarsalgia.

Morton’s Neuroma can present in a similar way to metatarsalgia. Extra tissue develops around a nerve in the foot and pain is typically felt in the ball of the foot. It can also cause toe numbness and a burning sensation in the foot. This condition is also due to repetitive stress like running or wearing high heels.

Foot Injury can be a result of an acute trauma or repetitive stress over time. First an evaluation is needed to determine what type of foot injury it is and often imaging is needed to confirm evaluation findings.

Peroneal & Achilles Tendonitis is when either the peroneal or achilles tendon become inflamed. Both of these tendons are responsible for attaching muscles in the calf to the ankle/foot and both are typically caused by overuse. While Peroneal Tendonitis causes more pain on the outside of the ankle, Achilles Tendonitis usually causes more pain in the back of the calf and/or heel. Each of these conditions will usually feel worse in the morning or after long periods of sitting still and then will feel better with some mild activity. Catching these conditions early is very important especially with Achilles Tendonitis, because left untreated it can lead to a tear or rupture of the tendon.

Diabetic Neuropathy happens in patients who have Diabetes. Having high blood sugar (glucose) in the body can affect your nerves leading to Peripheral Neuropathy. Usually the legs and feet are affected first followed by the arms and hands. Classic signs consist of numbness, tingling, burning and/or pain. 

Foot Gout is the most common location for Gout to first affect, specifically the big toe. Gout is a type of arthritis that attacks the joints and leads to severe pain, swelling, and redness in and around the joint that is affected. Gout is caused by Uric Acid build up in the body and one of the first steps in addressing Gout is making dietary changes.