Efficacy of first-time steroid injection for painful heel syndrome

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of a single injection of corticosteroids in patients with painful heel syndrome. Twenty-seven heels in 24 patients were injected with a combination of 1 ml of lidocaine and 1 ml of betamethasone (6 mg). These patients had never previously received an injection to their heels and had continued symptoms of pain after a trial of other nonoperative treatment modalities. After the injection, patients were seen and surveyed periodically for a period of 5 months to 8 months. The amount of pain relief that they obtained, the length of time this lasted, and the amount of heel pain present at the final follow-up were recorded. Based on the results of our study, we believe that a steroid injection is a reasonable adjunct in the treatment of painful heel syndrome, but that it is unlikely to provide permanent pain relief.