Elevate Sport and Spine

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in Kingsport, TN

Plantar fasciitis is irritation of the thick band of tissue along the bottom of the foot where it attaches to the heel. The classic sign is sharp heel pain with your first steps out of bed or after sitting, which eases as you move and comes back after a long day on your feet. At Elevate Sport and Spine in Kingsport, Dr. Preston Douglas, DC, CCSP, ATC (Tennessee License #3451) treats it with the approaches that have the best support, including stretching and loading exercises, manual therapy, custom orthotics, and StemWave focused shockwave therapy for heel pain that hasn't settled.
When to get urgent medical care

When to get care quickly. Heel pain after a fall or jump with swelling and trouble bearing weight could be a fracture. A sudden pop at the back of the heel or calf may be an Achilles rupture. A red, hot, swollen foot, especially with diabetes or fever, needs same-day medical care.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

  • •A jump in load: more walking, running or standing than your feet are used to
  • •Tight calves and stiff ankles, which pull harder on the fascia
  • •Foot shape: flat feet or very high arches
  • •Unsupportive shoes, or going barefoot on hard floors
  • •Weight gain, which adds load to every step
  • •Jobs on concrete: retail, nursing, warehouses, factories, restaurants

How chiropractic care may help plantar fasciitis

  • •Stretching and loading exercises for the plantar fascia and calf, progressed over weeks (corrective exercise)
  • •Manual therapy: extremity adjustments for the foot and ankle and soft tissue work, including instrument-assisted techniques
  • •Custom orthotics from Foot Levelers, fitted from a free foot scan, plus shoe advice
  • •Taping for short-term relief
  • •StemWave focused shockwave therapy, one of the more studied options for heel pain that hasn't improved with other care

A clinical practice guideline for heel pain recommends manual therapy, stretching, taping, foot orthoses and night splints. Most people improve, but it often takes weeks to a few months; the goal is to get you comfortable sooner and keep it from coming back.

What to expect and when we refer

Your first visit runs 30 to 45 minutes. Dr. Douglas examines your foot, ankle and calf, checks how you walk and stand, and looks at how your knee and hip are loading the foot. You'll leave with a home routine on day one. Suspected stress fractures, nerve entrapment, or heel pain with signs of an inflammatory condition are referred for imaging or a physician. More on your first visit.

Is this care safe?

Exercise, manual therapy, taping and orthotics are low risk. StemWave sessions can be uncomfortable during treatment and may leave the heel sore for a day or two; it isn't used over open wounds, during pregnancy, or for people with certain bleeding disorders or blood-thinning medications without clearance.

Plantar fasciitis care in Kingsport

We see runners and walkers, nurses and retail workers on hard floors all day, and people whose heels started hurting after a change in shoes or activity. The plan fits around your work and training rather than asking you to stop everything.

Common Questions

Clinical Sources & Guidelines

  1. Martin RL, Davenport TE, Reischl SF, et al. Heel pain, plantar fasciitis: revision 2014. Clinical practice guidelines linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2014;44(11):A1-A33.

Ready to be seen?

Call 423-239-9122 or book online. We don't take walk-ins, but most new patients are seen within a week, and we check your insurance benefits before your first visit.

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