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Plantar Fasciitis: Should I Have Surgery for Heel Pain?

You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.

Plantar Fasciitis: Should I Have Surgery for Heel Pain?

Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.

Get the facts

Your options

  • Have surgery for plantar fasciitis.
  • Try other treatment to see if your heel pain improves.

Key points to remember

  • You will probably not need surgery. Only about 5% of people with plantar fasciitis do.footnote 1footnote 1 This means that out of 100 people with plantar fasciitis, only 5 will need surgery and 95 will not. Experts suggest that you try at least 6 months of other treatment before you consider surgery.
  • Surgery may be right for you if you keep having bad heel pain after 6 to 12 months of home treatment. You might also think about surgery if heel pain is affecting your ability to work or do moderate exercise.
  • If you do need surgery, it will most likely reduce your heel pain. Of the few people who need surgery, about 75 out of 100 have less pain than they did before surgery.footnote 2footnote 2
  • Having surgery is not a guarantee that your heel pain will go away. About 25 out of 100 people who have surgery continue to have heel pain.footnote 2footnote 2

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Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC StaffIgnite Healthwise, LLC Staff

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