Can heel pain be something other than plantar fasciitis?

Not always. Other causes of heel pain include calcaneal stress, tarsal tunnel syndrome, plantar nerve entrapment, plantar fascia rupture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation, and, in rare cases, cysts. However, plantar fasciitis, which is also known as heel spur syndrome when a spur is present, is the most common cause of heel pain, especially stabbing heel pain

There are many other causes of heel pain apart from plantar fasciitis. The most common are plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, heel bursitis, fractures, Achilles tendonitis, Reactive arthritis, etc. Of these, plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. You can visit your medical doctor to investigate the exact cause of your heel pain.