You wake up and crawl out of bed–only to feel a sharp, stabbing pain shoot up from your heel. No, you didn’t step on a tack. It’s likely plantar fasciitis, one of the most common causes of heel pain worldwide.
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that affects your plantar fascia, a band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. When the plantar fascia becomes irritated or inflamed, usually due to overuse, it leads to foot discomfort (which then makes it harder for you to get around).
While plantar fasciitis is painful, it’s also easily treated with physical therapy. The team at MMA & Sports Rehab will work closely with you to rehabilitate your injury, providing immediate pain relief and helping you uncover what caused your plantar fasciitis in the first place.
Today, we want to give you an overview of plantar fasciitis so you know what you’re dealing with. Already struggling with foot or heel pain? Call us to schedule an appointment so we can start helping you find relief!
How Do I Know It’s Plantar Fasciitis?
Many injuries can cause foot pain, from ankle sprains to tiny stress fractures. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the location and sensation of your foot pain, as well as any mobility issues. To help you understand the signs and symptoms of plantar fasciitis, let’s look at an example case.
Sarah had recently taken up running after several years away. She loved going out every morning and jogging around her neighborhood. But after a few weeks, she started to experience discomfort on the bottom of her foot whenever she went for a run.
The pain usually started as a sharp, stabbing pain on the bottom of her heel, but she also noticed that the arch of her foot felt tender and restricted.
After experiencing the pain for the first time, she started to notice it more frequently, and not just after her runs, either:
- First thing in the morning, when she got out of bed
- While standing in a long line at the grocery store
- While spending a day walking around an amusement park
- After watching a long movie in the theater
When Sarah eventually visited a physical therapist to seek treatment for her foot pain, she made sure to carefully lay out all the times she experienced pain (and all the times she didn’t; Sarah noticed the pain tended to fade around mid-morning, then flare up in the evening). That, along with her detailed explanation of the pain’s location, helped her PT correctly identify her pain as plantar fasciitis.
Physical Therapy: Frontline Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
The MMA & Sports Rehab team’s knowledge of your body’s musculoskeletal systems means we can help you treat plantar fasciitis without invasive treatment methods (like surgery). While rehabilitation might take some time (usually a few weeks to a few months), you can resolve your pain through targeted foot exercises.
Here’s what you can expect when you visit us:
Besides reviewing your symptoms, we’ll conduct a comprehensive gait assessment and other movement screens to help us identify any biomechanical factors that might contribute to your plantar fasciitis.
We’ll help manage your acute pain through hands-on manual therapy techniques, foot taping, and other drug-free approaches.
Stretching and strengthening exercises will help resolve your current bout of plantar fasciitis. We’ll provide you with a tailored exercise program, including simple exercises you can do at home to help maximize your recovery.
Plantar fasciitis is usually an overuse injury, meaning it develops gradually over time. A frequent cause of plantar fasciitis is starting an intense new workout program (as Sarah did). Faulty gait mechanics and other lifestyle factors can contribute to it as well. We’ll provide you with customized advice and strategies for avoiding future incidents of plantar fasciitis.
Got Foot Pain? Call Us Today!
If you’re experiencing foot discomfort or immobility, your best bet is to call the team at MMA & Sports Rehab and schedule an initial consultation. Be prepared to discuss your symptoms in detail–and to receive a customized treatment program that will have you feeling footloose and fancy-free in no time!
A Special Thanks from MMA Sports Rehab
“We now have 418 Google 5-star reviews and more than 700 5-star reviews. We want to show our gratitude to our well-wishers, friends, family, community, and our beloved patients for their continued trust with their health care/rehab. We love you, and we are here because of YOU! Thank You!!!” – MSR Family
???? Dr. Ujjwal’s Tips on Plantar Fasciitis : Why Your Heels Are Being Heel-ish… and How to Fix It!
✔️ Tip #1: Stretch Like You Mean It
Your calves and arches are tight — and your plantar fascia wants freedom!
Try this daily duo:
- Calf wall stretch: 30 seconds x 3
- Plantar fascia stretch: Pull your toes back, massage the arch, thank your foot later.
✔️ Tip #2: Roll It Out!
Grab a frozen water bottle, tennis ball, or lacrosse ball.
Roll under your arch for 2–3 minutes twice a day.
Bonus: It feels oddly satisfying. ❄️????
✔️ Tip #3: Shoes Matter… A LOT
If your shoes are older than your Netflix subscription, it’s time to upgrade!
Look for supported arch + cushioned heel.
Barefoot on hard floors = heel’s worst nightmare.
✔️ Tip #4: Nighttime TLC
A night splint keeps your fascia from tightening overnight.
Your morning steps will thank you. ????➡️????
✔️ Tip #5: It’s All About Strength!
Strong feet = happy fascia ????
Try:
- Towel scrunches
- Marble pick-ups
- Single-leg balance (don’t fall… but if you do, blame the marbles)
✔️ Tip #6: Listen to Your Body
Pain that gets worse means your foot is saying:
“Hey! Stop doing that!”
Avoid too much jumping, running, or sudden increases in activity.
When to See Us at MSR ????
If pain is persistent for more than 2–3 weeks, we’ve got targeted treatments:
Dry needling, manual therapy, proper loading program, gait analysis, orthotic guidance, and more skilled PT magic. ✨
???? Parting Message from Your Feet:
“Please stretch us…
Support us…
And don’t make us run a marathon tomorrow if we barely walked last month.” ????
Stay active. Stay strong. Stay heel-thy.
— Dr. Ujjwal & The MSR Team
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Hurry, BOGO lasts for the first 100 shirts. Get your hands on the MSR Performance Tee while the offer lasts!
Our Patients Get Great Results
“After testing my ucl, my good arm started giving me pain. Me doctor, pt and ortho told me this was just normal and my one arm was compensating for the other. It was affecting my jiu jitsu and mma and I’d come home with sore elbows every practice.
I came here after seeing MMA Rehab in the name, and it was a great decision. Within a couple of months, my pain had greatly diminished. I no longer feel painfully sore after practice and am continuing to use the stretches they gave me with great results.”
-J.T.
Clinic News
Our very own Dr. Bryce did an amazing job for our monthly clinical skills lab, where he discussed his own experience at FC Cincinnati Professional soccer team – talking about sports rehab and training! At MSR, we are all about improving and learning to provide exceptional care to our patients/clients!!!
Get Back to Your Best Self at MMA Sports Rehab
Rediscover your strength and get back to your best self at MMA Sports Rehab! Schedule your next appointment today and experience the top-notch care that helped you before.
New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas For Good Luck
Start the year with a warm, comforting bowl of New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas—rich, hearty, and packed with traditional good-luck charm. Enjoy every savory spoonful as you welcome fresh beginnings and positive energy into the year ahead.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dry black-eyed peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups water
- 2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
- 1 pound smoked ham hocks
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 5 pepperoncini peppers
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place the black-eyed peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse before using. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in 8 cups of water and chicken broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in soaked black-eyed peas, ham hocks, tomatoes, pepperoncini, bay leaf, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until peas are tender, ham meat is falling off the bones, and the broth is thickened, about 3 hours.
5 Health Tips For The New Year
1. Shop Well For Yourself. It is more important than ever to stock your kitchen with healthy foods. Have healthy snacks handy. The more convenient they are, the more likely you are to eat them. Instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat, promise to eat your 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day.
2. Schedule Your Exercise. Your schedule will be very hectic this year, like every year. Schedule your workouts just as you would any other appointment. It’s okay if you can’t make it to class, but make sure that you get some activity in at least three days per week.
3. Just Say No. You probably aren’t aware how much extra food you consume just from people offering it to you. A sample at the market here, an extra cookie at an office party there and it all adds up. Just think twice before you take that food and decide if you really want it.
4. Skip the Baking. Do you make baked goods for giving? Chances are you eat much of what you bake. Who wouldn’t? Instead make non-food gifts, or prepare ingredients for baked goods and put them in pretty jars—this year, let your gift recipient bake it up. That way, they can eat it when they want it and you don’t have to be tempted in the kitchen.
5. Hydrate. Keep your water bottle with you at all times. You should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. One handy trick is to buy a 64-ounce water jug. Fill it up in the morning and know that you need to finish it by the end of the day.
Meet Our Team
Dr. Ujjwal Shakya
Physical Therapist, DPT, DMT, SCS, FNCP
Dr. Brianna Wynn
PT, DPT, Barbell Rehab Method Certified, USA Weightlifting Coach Level 1 & 2 Certified
Dr. Barz Kim
PT, DPT, Cert. DN Level 1 & 2
Ayesha Samudralanka
Patient Service Specialist
