The term “plantar pain” refers to pain around the heel of the foot. It is a common condition that causes nearly 1 million hospital visits per year in the U.S.

Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers that includes 37,000 people from more than 130 countries. In the journal American Family Physician, Cochrane asked, “Do corticosteroid injections improve plantar heel pain?”

The Cochrane review included 39 randomized trials. The authors summarized their findings by stating, “There is low[1]quality evidence that corticosteroid injections slightly reduce heel pain at one month, but they make no significant difference beyond that time. Injections do not appear to provide any benefit.”

Plantar fasciitis is characterized by heel pain extending into the arch of the foot. I have found that stretching and massage of the calves is extremely helpful for plantar fasciitis and heel pain.

Ensuring that the bones of the foot are properly aligned further helps the condition.

If you suffer from heel pain, I do not recommend a steroid injection. Rather, a visit to an osteopath or chiropractor is a better choice.