Dr. Nitish Mandal
Foot pain
Chronic foot pain may come from the heel, the arch, or a nerve. If the worst moment is the first step out of bed, use the heel pain page. This page is for pain that is not only a morning heel stab.
Heel vs arch vs nerve: how do I tell?
This page maps chronic foot pain and heel spurs. If the worst moment is the first step out of bed, the heel pain guide is the clearer starting point.
PRP injections and tibial nerve blocks are used after examination finds the source.
How does this foot pain feel?
- Ache in the heel, arch, or sole after standing or walking.
- First-step pain in the morning.
- A sense that shoes and stretching have already been tried.
When is a tibial nerve block used?
A heel spur on X-ray is only one finding. The fascia and the tibial nerve can be the source of the same morning pain.
PRP is placed at the pain site. A tibial nerve block is used when the nerve is part of the story.
When is PRP used for foot pain?
What often comes first
- Avoid long walks that sharply increase the pain.
- Keep moving in ways that do not provoke the foot.
Clinic procedures
- PRP injections.
- Tibial nerve blocks.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this plantar fasciitis?
- It can be. People often use that name for first-step heel pain. Read the heel pain page for that pattern.
- What treatments are used?
- PRP injections and tibial nerve blocks for chronic foot pain and heel spurs.
- Should I open heel pain or this page?
- Open heel pain if the first morning step is the main problem. Open this page if the ache is in the arch, sole, or more than one part of the foot.
Not every sore foot needs PRP. The first visit is to find the source, then choose care that fits.
Reviewed by Dr. Nitish Mandal, MBBS, MD, FIPM, TIPM (Nashville). Clinics: Koramangala and J.P. Nagar.
Page chat
Ask about foot pain
The questions on this page, with answers taken from the same details shown above.
Chat
Pain clinic
Typically replies on WhatsApp
The first step in the morning is the worst. Is that a heel spur?
A spur on X-ray is not always the reason. The fascia or a nerve can be the source. Start with the heel pain page.
What treatments are listed?
PRP injections and tibial nerve blocks.