Footnotes / Blog
A “Pop!” on the bottom of your foot could be a sudden rupture of the plantar fascia. This can be extremely painful, and requires diagnosis and treatment by a medical professional.
Symptoms
- Acute pain in the arch following a “dynamic” activity such as landing from a jump.
- Bruising with pain in the arch
- A “pop” when walking after having a injection
Diagnosis
- Physical exam
- Acute tenderness will be present in the sole of the foot, associated with the area of the rupture.
- There is usually some initial swelling, but significant bruising may take a few days to develop.
- Imaging
- X-rays of the foot will likely be normal.
- If an MRI is performed, it will display the rupture of the plantar fascia, which can be partial or complete. There will be associated edema(swelling) and evidence of increased blood flow to this area.
Treatment
Non-operative treatment is typically successful. The injury is painful and therefore initial treatment is generally oriented towards pain control with ice, crutches, and limited activity. As the pain regresses, often 4-10 days after the original injury, it may be possible to do more weight bearing, provided that stiff soled comfort shoes or a protective walker boot is used. At this point, gentle plantar stretching can be done.
NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) can aide in relieving pain and swelling. Return to reasonably normal standing or walking can occur relatively quickly in a few weeks. However, return to high impact sports requiring sudden change of direction or explosive power through the plantar fascia region can take months. Thankfully, surgical treatment is usually not necessary to treat plantar fascia ruptures.
If you are worried you may have ruptured your plantar fascia, visit one of the doctors at Innovative Foot and Ankle. Our licensed New Jersey podiatrists are located in Little Ferry, Bayonne, Kenilworth and Montclair. We would be happy to help!