Conditions We Treat
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain: the plantar fascia gets overloaded faster than it can recover. Most people try inserts and internet stretches for months before seeing a PT. Working with a PT shortens recovery and keeps it from coming back.
Classic presentation: sharp heel pain with the first steps in the morning or after sitting, eases as you walk, and returns with prolonged standing. Several conditions look similar — Achilles tendinopathy, fat pad atrophy, calcaneal stress reaction — and need different treatment. We screen for all of these at evaluation.
Common drivers include a sudden increase in running or walking volume, a new job with prolonged standing (hospital, restaurant, retail, parenting a new walker), calf and intrinsic foot weakness, hip and glute weakness driving compensations, recent footwear changes, and weight changes.
Sixty-minute evaluation. Foot and ankle range, calf flexibility, intrinsic foot strength (toe-yoga test), single-leg balance, hip and glute strength, gait observation. We screen for stress reaction risk before progressing loading.
Heavy slow loading with progressive calf raises on a step — the single best-supported intervention. Manual therapy to the plantar fascia, gastroc, and soleus. Dry needling for stubborn calf trigger points. Foot intrinsic strengthening (short-foot, toe yoga, single-leg balance). Hip and glute work to address upstream drivers. Practical footwear and load-modification guidance. Taping in the early phase for symptom relief.
Typical resolution is 8–12 weeks for moderate cases, longer for chronic ones. PT shortens it; doing nothing prolongs it.
Medicare, CareFirst, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Tricare. Self-pay $150 per session. Capitol Hill, Bethesda, and in-home. Same-week evaluations.
Same-week evaluations at Capitol Hill, Bethesda, and in-home throughout the DMV.
Book a Heel Pain EvaluationMost moderate cases resolve in 8–12 weeks. Chronic cases (over six months of symptoms) take longer — often 4–6 months — but still respond well to progressive loading.
Usually no. The evidence on cortisone for plantar fasciitis is mixed, and repeated injections can weaken the fascia. Start with PT — if you're not progressing, then consider it.
For some patients, yes — particularly those with severe morning pain. We'll help you decide whether it's worth the discomfort to sleep in one.
Orthotics can help during the acute phase, but they're not a cure. Most patients can transition off them once strength and tissue capacity are rebuilt.
Usually yes, with volume modification. Cutting mileage 30–50% and adding cross-training is more effective than total rest.
Not usually. We reserve it for chronic cases that aren't responding to standard loading and manual therapy after 3+ months.
It's individual — there's no universal best shoe. We'll evaluate your foot and gait and make a recommendation based on what we see.