Have Heel Pain? So Does Eli Manning!

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common foot injuries...common in all level of athletes. Well America, you have good company. Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning of the New York Giants had a MRI confirming the diagnosis today. He left the game, clearing the way for former Houston Texans QB David Carr to take over.

Here's the kicker...Eli may not be ready to play on Sunday. Truly amazing! Why? Because so many of my patients ignore heel pain until it gets unbearable and here is the HIGHEST PAID player in NFL history who may have to sit out because of it. Imagine, someone getting paid millions of dollars to play football and here I have people not willing to miss a run or two to get better.

Plantar fasciitis, what Eli is suffering from, is an inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament where it attaches to the heel bone. The pain is usually a sharp, stabbing pain when you first get up in the morning and after sitting for a period of time. It is very treatable with conservative measures. In fact, surgery is rarely needed. Anti-inflammatory medication, ice, night splints are all great first line treatments for heel pain.

Once you get plantar fasciitis under control, it may come back. To prevent that from happening, you should invest in custom orthotics. An orthotic mechanically balances the feet and lower extremity to manage the excess pulling that causes the inflammation.

So sitting out on Sunday may be the best treatment for Eli if he's not 100%. More likely, however, is that they'll give him a cortisone shot in the heel, tape him up, and send him to play. The lesson to learn is, if you have any pain in your heel, don't wait...be like Eli...identify the problem, treat it quickly and aggressively, so you don't have much down time at all. To learn more about heel pain, visit our website.