Plantar fasciitis, also known as runners heel, neuritis, or painful sole syndrome, is the medical term describing what happens when tissue connecting your heel to your toes becomes inflamed. This can lead to pain in your heel which can make it hard to engage in normal life activities.
If you are a veteran of military service, then the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) recognizes plantar fasciitis as a disabling condition that can qualify you for veterans’ benefits, including monthly disability compensation.
The law firm of Stone Rose Law can help you apply for veterans benefits for plantar fasciitis. If you have already applied for benefits and the VA has declined your claim, we can help you file a supplemental claim or appeal the denial.
To learn more about how we can assist you with your service-connected plantar fasciitis claim and to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced veterans benefits attorneys, call us at (480) 498-8998. We are also available online if you want to ask a question or set up a free initial consultation.
If the VA approves your disability benefits claim for plantar fasciitis, then it will assign to you a disability rating from 10% to 40% depending on the severity of your symptoms.
For this rating, your plantar fasciitis condition can affect either or both of your feet, but is responsive to non-surgical treatment like orthotics and weight management or surgical treatment.
This rating applies if only one of your feet is affected, but it is not responsive to surgical or non-surgical treatment.
If plantar fasciitis affects both of your feet and is not responsive to surgical or non-surgical treatment, then this rating applies.
If your plantar fasciitis results in the loss of your ability to use one foot, then this is the rating you will receive.
If your plantar fasciitis condition in combination with one or more other disabilities prevents you from getting or keeping substantially gainful employment, then total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) may apply to you. TDIU is a monthly VA disability benefit that can pay monthly compensation for total disability even if your combined rating for plantar fasciitis and other disabilities does not equal 100 percent.
There are two main ways that you can qualify for TDIU benefits with plantar fasciitis:
You apply for plantar fasciitis VA benefits in the way that you apply for any other non-presumptive disability condition. You can apply based on a direct service connection, or a secondary condition.
To show a direct service connection between your plantar fasciitis condition and your military service, you will need to show the following:
You can file a claim for plantar fasciitis-related VA benefits using VA Form 21-526EZ. You can file the form online, or send it to the VA by mail, or you can submit your application at your nearest VA regional office.
In addition to the VA form, you will need to provide enough supporting documentation to persuade the VA that it is more likely than not that your military service led to your plantar fasciitis symptoms, either by causing them or by aggravating a pre-existing condition.
This documentation can take several forms. The most common are your military records, your doctor’s medical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, and supporting letters from people who are in position to witness the effect your condition has on your daily activities and your ability to work.
Sometimes, the VA will schedule you for a compensation and pension (C&P) exam to get more information about your plantar fasciitis condition. Your attendance at a scheduled C&P examination is important. During the exam, a VA examiner will review your service records and your medical records, ask you some questions about your symptoms, and possibly have you undergo some tests.
A veterans disability attorney can be helpful in assisting you to gather the supporting documents you will need to make the most compelling case to the VA, and help you to prepare for your C&P exam.
A secondary service connection disability is one that is caused by another disability that the VA has assigned a disability rating for. In the case of plantar fasciitis, other VA disabilities can be hip pain, back pain, or a flat feet condition that causes you to alter the way you walk. This altered gait can lead to the plantar fasciitis condition.
Because pes planus and plantar fasciitis both affect your feet and have some common symptoms, it can be easy to confuse these two conditions. But for VA disability purposes it is important to understand that they are different from one another in their causes and some of their symptoms.
People who develop plantar fasciitis can also get a foot condition called pes planus. For example, strenuous activities like running for long distances or standing for long periods can lead to both conditions. Having flat feet can place more pressure on your heels, and that can lead to strain on the plantar fascia which can aggravate a plantar fasciitis condition.
Other causes of pes planus are different from those of plantar fasciitis. They include torn, stretched, or inflamed tendons, nerve damage, broken or dislocated bones in your feet, and co-existing conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Symptoms of pes planus include some that are similar to plantar fasciitis, like pain in the bottom of your feet, swelling, and leg and back pain. It also has some distinct symptoms, such as having trouble standing on your toes.
In addition to being a possible secondary service disability, plantar fasciitis can be a disability in addition to another foot-related disability. pes planus. Bilateral pes planus, when it exists with plantar fasciitis, can lead to a combined VA disability rating if the symptoms for each condition are distinct.
Pes planus is a condition in which the arch of your foot is flatter than normal, to where it can touch the floor. “Bilateral pes planus” describes what happens then the condition affects both of your feet.
To learn more about how plantar fasciitis can combine with pes planus or another disability in a combined VA disability rating, see our VA Disability Calculator.
The plantar fascia runs along the bottom of your foot and connects your toes to your heel bone. Inflammation of this tissue can lead to mild-to-intense pain on the bottom of your feet, especially when you put weight on the affected foot. In severe cases, plantar fasciitis can make it hard for you to walk or to stand for long periods of time.
The physical demands of military service can contribute to the onset of plantar fasciitis or make an existing condition worse. Long hours spent on your feet, carrying heavy loads across uneven terrain, running, jumping, and strenuous exercises can all put stress on the plantar fascia tissue that eventually lead to plantar fasciitis.
In addition to activities that put stress and pressure on the plantar fascia, other factors can contribute to a plantar fasciitis condition. These include:
The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain and tenderness in the bottom of the affected foot, with the variable being the degree of pain and how and when pain occurs.
Most people who suffer from plantar fasciitis pain report a feeling that gets worse when using the affected foot. The more you walk, the harder you exercise, the longer you stand, the more pain you experience.
Others experience plantar fasciitis symptoms that can be worse in the morning, but then lessens throughout the day.
You can experience heel pain in one or both feet that sufferers describe as a stabbing pain or shooting pain. It can be accompanied by heel swelling and a sense of tightening in your Achilles tendon.
People who do not treat a plantar fasciitis condition can eventually begin to experience symptoms in other body parts, including pain in the knee, hip, and back. This happens because of conscious or unconscious adjustments they make when walking in an attempt to lessen the foot pain.
The VA does not always approve first-time VA disability benefits claims. If this happens with your plantar fasciitis claim, you can still overcome that denial in one of the following ways.
At Stone Rose Law our board-certified VA claims lawyers serve veterans nationwide with affordable, high-quality assistance for first-time claims, supplemental claims, and appeals of denied claims.
A Stone Rose disability lawyer can help you prepare your initial claim, monitor your claim status and consult with you before disability examinations — all at no cost to you.
If the VA denies your original claim, our VA benefits law firm will assign a VA disability appeals lawyer to help you pursue a VA appeal with the Board of Veterans Appeals while providing free representation on a contingency fee basis.
This means you won’t pay your VA disability lawyer any fees unless we win your appeal and you receive benefits.
For more information about how one of our VA disability lawyers can help you with your VA disability compensation claim or appeal, request a free assistance consultation at (480) 498-8998.Or, if you prefer, you can reach us online to ask a question about veterans law, veterans disability benefits, or to set an appointment with one of our veterans lawyers for a free case evaluation.
