🦶 Stabbing Heel Pain in Surprise, AZ? See Dr. Bates this week.
✓ Same-week appointments ✓ Medicare & major plans accepted ✓ Conservative care first
5.0 stars from 52 patients Dr. David Bates, DPM · Practicing since 2003
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Same business day callbacks Mon–Fri. No referral required.
Request a Same-Week Appointment.
Heel pain is one of the most common reasons patients call Heelex. Same business day callbacks Monday through Friday — no referral needed.
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No referral required. Tell us a little about you and we'll reach back same business day.
👣 First Steps in the Morning Hurt the Most?
If your first steps out of bed bring a sharp, stabbing pain at the heel — and it eases as you walk, only to return after sitting at a desk or after a long meal — you're describing the textbook pattern of plantar fasciitis. It's the most common cause of heel pain we see in the West Valley, and it's what brings most new heel-pain patients to Dr. Bates.
🩺 What Dr. Bates Treats
- Plantar fasciitis — chronic and acute, including cases that haven't responded to stretching, night splints, or NSAIDs.
- Heel spurs — diagnosis, imaging, and a clear explanation of when the spur itself is the problem vs. the inflamed tissue around it (most of the time, it's the latter).
- Morning heel pain & first-step pain — the classic plantar fasciitis presentation.
- Calcaneal stress reactions — heel pain that worsens with activity in runners and active patients.
- Posterior heel pain — Achilles insertional tendinopathy, Haglund's deformity, retrocalcaneal bursitis (often confused with plantar fasciitis but treated differently).
- Children's heel pain (Sever's disease) — common in active kids ages 8–14.
🧪 Conservative Care First — Always
Dr. Bates starts every new heel-pain workup with a thorough exam and, when needed, in-office imaging. Then we build a stepped plan:
- Eccentric stretching protocol — specific, evidence-based stretches you can do at home in 5 minutes.
- Custom or semi-custom orthotics — to offload the fascia. Off-the-shelf is sometimes fine; a custom mold is sometimes worth it.
- Targeted injection — cortisone or PRP, used judiciously. Dr. Bates discusses risk/benefit before any injection.
- Night splint or strassburg sock — for stubborn morning pain.
- Activity modification — short-term, with a clear return-to-activity plan.
💡 When Heel Pain Won't Heal
Some heel pain has been around for six months, a year, two years — and the standard playbook has already been run. If you've already tried cortisone, physical therapy, orthotics, and a night splint and the pain is still there, Heelex is uniquely set up for the next step. Our sister clinic offers Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) for chronic, treatment-resistant plantar fasciitis — the published literature reports 70–80% (individual results vary) pain reduction without surgery. Dr. Bates will tell you honestly whether you're a candidate.
📍 Heel Pain Specialist Serving Surprise, Sun City, Peoria, Glendale
Heelex sits on Bola Drive in Surprise, AZ — easy access from Sun City, Sun City West, El Mirage, Youngtown, Peoria, Glendale, Litchfield Park, and Goodyear. New patients welcome from across the West Valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral?
No. Dr. Bates accepts new patients directly — call (623) 270-7441 or request a callback.
How fast can I be seen?
Most new heel-pain patients are scheduled same-day or next-day. Walk-ins welcome when the schedule allows.
What if conservative treatment has already failed?
Then you are exactly the patient we want to see. Dr. Bates will review what has been tried, examine the foot, and recommend the next step — which may include in-house Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) at our sister clinic for chronic, treatment-resistant heel pain.
Do you take Medicare and major insurance?
Yes. Most major insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage are accepted. Benefits are verified before your visit.
Is heel spur surgery the only option?
No. Heel spurs themselves often do not need to be removed; the pain is usually from inflamed soft tissue around them. Dr. Bates starts with conservative care — stretching, orthotics, injections — and only discusses surgery when truly needed.