This article was medically authored by Dr. Kevin Lie and last reviewed for accuracy on 06/09/2026.

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition involving inflammation in your plantar fascia, a ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot. Initially, the heel pain of plantar fasciitis is intermittent, often worst when you first get out of bed in the morning. At this stage, the condition is fairly easy to treat with non-invasive measures. However, if left untreated, the ongoing inflammation can damage degrade the ligament, and the pain can become chronic and more difficult to resolve. Once, chronic heel pain treatment would require invasive injections or surgery. But now, thanks to innovations in interventional radiology, there’s an effective, minimally invasive treatment option: Plantar Fasciitis Embolization (PFE.) And, according to research, it provides lasting and effective relief.

Key Takeaways

• Research is still limited but currently available data displays high rates of procedure efficacy with results lasting for at least four years
• Heel pain can be considered chronic if it persists for more than six months and does not respond to conservative interventions
• When treatments such as stretching, icing and wearing custom orthotics fails to provide relief, PFE can resolve heel pain without surgery

Initial Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

When patients initially present with the heel pain of plantar fasciitis, doctors will likely recommend simple interventions. Treatment options at this stage can include:

• Stretching
• Icing the affected area
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Splinting the affected foot at night
• Physical therapy
• Wearing custom orthotics with footwear
• Modifying or reducing your current activity levels

Many patients respond well to these interventions. However, not every individual with plantar fasciitis will find relief. In such cases, their heel pain can persist, becoming chronic, and forcing them to seek other treatment options.

Chronic Heel Pain Treatment

When the heel pain of plantar fasciitis has been present for 6 or more months, and hasn’t responded to conservative treatments such as physical therapy, splinting, shoe and activity modifications or custom orthotic inserts, it can be considered chronic. At that point, you will need to seek alternative interventions.

Traditionally, those options could include cortisone, Botox or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections; Shockwave therapy; or, in extreme cases, a surgical procedure to release the plantar fascia. Today, however there’s another effective option: PFE, a minimally-invasive procedure that relieves chronic heel pain by reducing blood flow—and inflammation—to a portion of your plantar fascia. In the weeks that follow the procedure, your pain gradually resolves, and your recovery involves minimal down time and a quick return to full activities, since PFE is performed without incisions or stitches. Now, since the procedure is a relatively new treatment option for plantar fasciitis, we have limited information about the duration of relief provided. However, this small study found that the procedure was 100% effective at providing pain relief, and that no one’s pain had returned at the six-month follow-up. Later, this study showed that the pain relief provide by plantar fasciitis emobilzatiolasts for at least four years following your procedure.

Who is a PFE Candidate?

While this chronic heel pain treatment option is not for everyone, PFE can be beneficial for those who enjoy good overall health and who have a confirmed plantar fasciitis diagnosis. Before considering PFE, you should have experienced at least six months of chronic heel pain. And you should try conservative plantar fasciitis therapies before considering PFE. But if they have failed to relieve your discomfort, you can begin exploring your candidacy for this procedure by requesting a consultation at one of our three Georgia Endovascular locations in the greater Atlanta region.