Heel pain is one of the most common reasons patients visit a podiatrist, but it is important to remember that heel pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. While many people assume any pain in the heel is plantar fasciitis, the truth is that several different conditions can cause discomfort in the bottom, back, or sides of your foot.
If your heel pain has lasted more than a few weeks, or if it is preventing you from enjoying activities like running or pickleball, it is time for a professional evaluation. At Solterra Foot and Ankle, we provide comprehensive care for patients of all ages—from active athletes and children to older adults—throughout the Phoenix metro area, including Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Paradise Valley.
Many of our patients tell us their pain is most intense when they first get out of bed in the morning or after they have been sitting for a long period. This "first-step" pain is a hallmark of certain conditions, but the exact cause depends on your foot structure and activity level.
Common causes of heel pain include:
During your visit, our podiatrists perform a comprehensive exam that includes:
To ensure you get the answers you need when you need them, same-day appointments are often available for new and existing patients.
For stubborn or chronic cases that do not respond to initial treatments, we offer PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapy. This regenerative medicine option uses your own blood’s healing properties to jumpstart tissue repair in the heel, providing a powerful non-surgical alternative for persistent pain.
In some cases where conservative measures fail, our surgeons are highly trained in the latest procedures to provide long-term relief.
Heel pain can affect anyone—from runners, hikers, and pickleball players to busy professionals, active adults, and even children. Our team understands how foot pain can limit your daily activities and quality of life. We focus on identifying the underlying cause and creating a personalized treatment plan to help you move comfortably again.
No. While it is the most common cause, heel pain can also be caused by Achilles issues, nerve entrapments, stress fractures, or growth plate inflammation in children. A podiatrist is the best specialist to determine the exact cause.
When you sleep, your foot naturally relaxes and the tissues shorten. When you take your first step, those tissues are suddenly stretched, causing sharp pain. This is a common symptom of plantar fasciitis.
Yes. Active children between the ages of 8 and 14 often experience heel pain due to Sever’s disease, which is an irritation of the heel's growth plate. It is highly treatable with the right podiatric care.
In the vast majority of cases, the answer is no. Heel pain can almost always be resolved with conservative, non-surgical treatments such as custom orthotics, stretching, shoe gear changes, and physical therapy. We only consider surgery if conservative care does not provide relief. Even if you have been told you have a "heel spur," the pain is usually caused by inflammation of the tissue, not the bone itself, meaning surgery to remove the spur is rarely necessary.
A heel spur is a calcium deposit that forms on the underside of the heel bone over several months. While people often blame the "spur" for their pain, the spur itself is usually painless. The discomfort actually comes from the inflammation of the soft tissue (the plantar fascia) pulling on the bone. Because the spur is a symptom of long-term strain and not the primary cause of pain, we rarely need to remove it surgically. Instead, we treat the inflammation and use custom orthotics to correct the foot structure that caused the spur to form in the first place.
Don’t let foot pain keep you on the sidelines. Whether you are in Scottsdale, Tempe, or Peoria, the experts at Solterra Foot and Ankle are here to help you move comfortably again.
