That stabbing pain in your first steps out of bed is usually plantar fasciitis, and it almost always gets better. Most patients fully recover without surgery when care starts early. We diagnose it on day one and build a step-by-step plan that fits your work, your shoes, and your miles.
Board-certified surgeons and podiatrists across eight Los Angeles area neighborhoods.
Key takeaways
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, and the most common foot complaint we treat at LAOSS. The plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, anchoring at the heel bone (calcaneus) and fanning out to the base of each toe. Think of it as a bowstring that supports your arch and absorbs every step you take.
When that band gets overloaded (by miles you ran, hours you stood, weight you gained, or shoes that stopped supporting you), tiny tears develop near the heel attachment. Your body responds with inflammation and, over time, thickening and stiffness of the fascia. The result is a deep, stabbing pain right at the bottom of the heel, worst on the first steps in the morning or after sitting still for a while.
The pain is real, it's specific, and it has a pattern we recognize immediately. The good news: more than 90% of plantar fasciitis cases improve with conservative care: stretching, supportive footwear, orthotics, night splints, and patience. The patients who struggle most are the ones who delay treatment for months, then wonder why six weeks of basic stretching hasn't fixed a problem that's been brewing for a year.
At LAOSS, our foot and ankle specialists diagnose plantar fasciitis the same day you walk in (usually on physical exam alone, with X-ray to rule out a stress fracture or heel spur if warranted) and send you home with a clear, personalized plan you can actually follow.
Plantar fasciitis is an irritation of the plantar fascia. This thick band of connective tissue travels across the bottom of the foot between the toes and the heel. It supports the foot's natural arch. It stretches and becomes taut whenever the foot bears weight.
The plantar fascia is a sheet of strong connective tissue that runs from the heel bone forward to the base of each toe. It holds up your arch and transmits the force of every step from your heel to your forefoot. When it gets overloaded, the spot where it attaches to the heel (a small, dense bundle of fibers) is almost always where the pain lives. That's why plantar fasciitis pain is usually so easy to point to with one finger.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the few orthopedic diagnoses we can usually make on history and exam alone, no MRI needed. When you describe stabbing heel pain on your first steps in the morning that eases as you walk, you've already told us most of what we need to know. Confirming it takes about two minutes of hands-on exam.
At your first visit, your LAOSS foot and ankle specialist will ask when the pain started, what your typical day looks like (how long you stand, how far you run, what shoes you live in), and what's made it better or worse. Then we examine the foot: we palpate the inside-front of the heel where the fascia attaches, test calf flexibility (a tight Achilles is almost always part of the picture), look at your arch shape, and watch you walk.
We use on-site X-ray when we need to rule out other causes: a calcaneal stress fracture, fat pad atrophy, or in older patients, signs of inflammatory arthritis. A heel spur on X-ray, by the way, is usually not the cause of your pain. Many people with heel spurs have no heel pain, and plantar fasciitis can be treated without removing the spur. We add diagnostic ultrasound or MRI only if the picture isn't clean: for example, if we suspect a partial plantar fascia tear in a runner, or if symptoms haven't responded to 6+ months of good conservative care.
Most patients leave the first visit with a confirmed diagnosis, a written stretching protocol, footwear and orthotic guidance, and a follow-up scheduled at 4 to 6 weeks to measure progress.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most treatable conditions in orthopedics. More than 90% of patients improve with consistent, well-executed conservative care. Procedures are reserved for the smaller group whose pain lingers past 6 to 9 months despite the basics. Here's how we think about treatment, from least invasive to most.
The foundation of plantar fasciitis recovery. Done together, consistently, these resolve the vast majority of cases.
If pain persists past 6 to 9 months despite consistent conservative care, these targeted interventions can reset the healing process.
Plantar fasciitis looks simple, but the patients who don't get better are usually the ones whose treatment plan wasn't matched to their specific foot, gait, and life.
Our foot and ankle specialists move stepwise: start with the least-invasive option that fits your situation, escalate only when it doesn't work.
If most of these match your situation, an evaluation with a LAOSS foot and ankle specialist is the right next step.
These patterns are classic for plantar fasciitis and warrant evaluation.
Your first visit is built to give you an answer and a plan the same day, not just another referral.
ImportantSeek urgent evaluation if heel pain follows a fall or direct trauma, if you have numbness or burning radiating into the foot, if you have fever or redness suggesting infection, or if pain is severe enough to prevent any weight-bearing. These can signal a stress fracture, nerve entrapment, or other diagnosis that isn't plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis recovery is measured in weeks and months, not days. The patients who get better fastest are the ones who do the small things every day (stretches, ice, the right shoes) instead of waiting for a single fix.
Goal: break the inflammation cycle and stop making it worse. Most patients feel a meaningful drop in morning pain by the end of week four.
As pain settles, we layer in strengthening and gradually return you to your activity. Night splints are added if morning pain is still significant.
Most patients are pain-free by month 3 to 6. For the smaller group whose symptoms persist, we discuss next-tier options like PRP.
Plantar fasciitis care is mostly low-risk, but every step up the treatment ladder has tradeoffs we'll discuss with you in detail.
Conservative care (stretching, shoes, orthotics, night splints) is very low risk. The most common issue is patience: improvement takes weeks, not days.
Injections and procedures carry small but real risks. We use them selectively and discuss alternatives at every step.
At LAOSS, your plantar fasciitis care is led by board-certified foot and ankle specialists who treat this condition every single week: runners, teachers, nurses, retail workers, and weekend hikers. They know what the morning pain feels like, they know which shoes actually help and which ones make it worse, and they know when patience pays off versus when it's time to escalate.
From your first evaluation through follow-up, our specialists give you a plan you can actually follow at home and at work, with same- or next-day access at eight Los Angeles-area offices.
“Fantastic orthopedic Dr. Michael. I've had pain in my left foot for over a year now and he diagnosed me with plantar facitis and gave me an injection in my foot, insoles, and an overnight splint to help with pain and releasing tension. Also gave me help with stretches and to use ice cubes to massage on my feet a couple minutes twice a day. …”
Valerie C.Google reviewMontebelloNov 2023
“Dr. Matt Cikra seems like a great doc who looks at the big picture—my foot is attached to my body, after all, and had some really good care recommendations. He’s the 3rd podiatrist I’ve seen regarding long term plantar fasciitis and is the doc I feel confident about, moving forward.”
Beth D.Google reviewWilshireMar 2025
Selected 5-star reviews from Google, shown as written. Individual results vary.
The sooner plantar fasciitis is evaluated, the faster it resolves. Book a same- or next-day visit with a foot and ankle specialist at any of our eight Los Angeles-area offices.
