If you’re dealing with heel pain in Tucson that hasn’t improved despite treatment for plantar fasciitis, you’re not alone. At Smith Performance Center, we often see people who’ve tried injections, stretching, shoe inserts, and ice bottles—yet their heel still hurts. In many of these cases, the real problem isn’t the plantar fascia at all, but a muscle on the bottom of the foot called the flexor digitorum brevis. You wake up, swing your legs to the edge of the bed, and… hesitate. You know this is going to hurt. The good foot moves to the ground first—you learned from that mistake a month ago. You brace and put down the other foot, the ungrateful one that will not get better despite the trip to the podiatrist, the injection, physical therapy, the shoe inserts, the ice bottle massage, and the stretching exercises. The foot touches down. It’s not so bad, you
Why is your heel pain not getting better? Heel pain is a common, painful foot condition leading internet searches for “cures to heel pain” or “treatments for plantar fasciitis.” The pain resolves with time if the cause of symptoms is removed, but up to 10% of individuals with heel pain do not get better. These chronic sufferers try everything to get rid of the pain including plantar fascia releases, injections, and pain medications. The causes of heel pain are numerous, ranging from plantar tendinopathies like the flexor digitorum brevis, nerve involvement with tarsal tunnel syndromes or lateral plantar nerve, low back referrals, and double crush syndrome to fat pad injuries. The answer is not more stretching and new orthotics. If you are stuck with heel pain and the typical treatment for plantar fasciitis is not making you feel better, then you likely have a different problem and require a different
Recurring injuries derailed Alex’s triathlon training for years—until he adopted a structured, phase-based rehab approach. This case study shows how the Smith Performance Center Phase System helped him move from chronic pain to consistent performance by focusing on what most athletes overlook: building tissue capacity to match training demands.
If you’re dealing with heel pain in Tucson that hasn’t improved despite treatment for plantar fasciitis, you’re not alone. At Smith Performance Center, we often see people who’ve tried injections, stretching, shoe inserts, and ice bottles—yet their heel still hurts. In many of these cases, the real problem isn’t the plantar fascia at all, but a muscle on the bottom of the foot called the flexor digitorum brevis. You wake up, swing your legs to the edge of the bed, and… hesitate. You know this is going to hurt. The good foot moves to the ground first—you learned from that mistake a month ago. You brace and put down the other foot, the ungrateful one that will not get better despite the trip to the podiatrist, the injection, physical therapy, the shoe inserts, the ice bottle massage, and the stretching exercises. The foot touches down. It’s not so bad, you
Why is your heel pain not getting better? Heel pain is a common, painful foot condition leading internet searches for “cures to heel pain” or “treatments for plantar fasciitis.” The pain resolves with time if the cause of symptoms is removed, but up to 10% of individuals with heel pain do not get better. These chronic sufferers try everything to get rid of the pain including plantar fascia releases, injections, and pain medications. The causes of heel pain are numerous, ranging from plantar tendinopathies like the flexor digitorum brevis, nerve involvement with tarsal tunnel syndromes or lateral plantar nerve, low back referrals, and double crush syndrome to fat pad injuries. The answer is not more stretching and new orthotics. If you are stuck with heel pain and the typical treatment for plantar fasciitis is not making you feel better, then you likely have a different problem and require a different
Recurring injuries derailed Alex’s triathlon training for years—until he adopted a structured, phase-based rehab approach. This case study shows how the Smith Performance Center Phase System helped him move from chronic pain to consistent performance by focusing on what most athletes overlook: building tissue capacity to match training demands.