Get Rid of the Heel Pain
Heel pain due to plantar fasciitis may cause limping and compensatory movements may affect other joints too. Treating plantar fasciitis when its acute is of utmost importance for a better prognosis.
Does your heel pain as soon as you take the first step in the morning or after long period of weight bearing? More than 70% of people with such classical signs can be probably suffering from plantar fasciitis. Pain and inflammation at the bottom of the foot is the main presenting symptom.
Plantar fascia is the fibrous ligament below the heel bone that gets inflamed causing heel pain. Plantar Fasciitis is often known as a heel spur as it’s easy to say. Heel spur is the bony growth on the calcaneal bone. Due to similarity in the site of pain in plantar fasciitis and heel spur, these conditions may be misdiagnosed. This condition can be preempted with the use of stretching exercises and plantar foot brace to stretch your plantar fascia as you sleep or rest.
Causes and Risk Factors of Plantar Fasciitis
Repeated trauma
Being overweight
Occupation demanding standing
Sports activities
People with flat feet or high arches
Loss of tone of calf muscles
Shoes without proper cushion
Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis
Heel pain and Mild heel swelling are the symptoms.
Distinguishing feature of the pain of plantar fasciitis is as:
Stone bruise pain
Stabbing pain
Burning sensation
Pain site changes
Pain in the early morning
Pain after exercise (not during exercise)
Pain after a period of weight bearing
Pain reduces after warm up
Pain decreases with activity but then increases throughout the day as movements increase.
Other medical diagnoses with similar symptoms are:
Heel bruise
Calcaneal stress fracture
Tarsal tunnel syndrome
Tendonitis
Plantar fascia rupture
Laboratory testing and radiograph is not necessary for plantar fasciitis. These can be helpful to diagnose other causes of heel pain.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
Proper height to weight ratio can help reduce the pressure on the arch of the foot.
Rest is a must to reduce inflammation.
Appropriate analgesics.
Ice application.
Exercises for stretching achilles tendon, calf muscles, and arch of the foot.
Arch supports or shoes with proper cushion.
Plantar Fasciitis foot brace or Night Splints to exert a mild stretch on the plantar fascia.
Corticosteroid injections in severe acute cases could be of help, but should be discouraged.
Prevention:
Reduce weight-bearing activities
Shoes inserts and proper support to the arch of the foot
Foot exercises to maintain proper tone of the muscles.
Some conservative measures for treating a heel spur. Read on to know what are the possible home remedies to cure your calcaneal spur.
Heel Spur or Calcaneal Spur is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It is bony thickening of the calcaneal bone - the largest bone in the foot region.
Causes of Heel Spurs
Being Overweight
Improper footwear
Sudden spurt of daily chores
Weak calf muscles tend to add pressure to the foot region.
Plantar fasciitis - "itis" indicates the inflammation of the tissue (plantar fascia) at the arch of the foot.
Heel Spur Symptoms
Though all the people with spurs do not have heel pain, severe foot pain on standing is the main symptom of a calcaneal spur. The pain is more in the morning and decreases with activity. The spur forms due to the deposition of calcium near the plantar fascia. The heel pain arises due to the spur pricking the surrounding tissue. The heel pain has been depicted as toothache in the foot.
Diagnosis
Heel bone spurs can be diagnosed with an X-ray foot where a bony outgrowth can be seen at the calcaneal bone near the attachment of plantar fascia. Radiological proof helps exclude other conditions like arthritis, stress fractures etc.
Self Treatment for Heel Spurs
Avoid walking barefoot: Shoes are a must to support the arch of the foot even when at home. Arch Supports and heel cups cushion to the heel, and reduce the weight bearing on the foot during activities.
Rest: The intensity and duration of activity and weight bearing should be reduced. Staying off the feet can help intensely.
Exercises: The regimen should consist of mild stretches for strengthening of foot and calf muscles to reduce the tension on the heel mechanically.
Cold and heat therapy: An ice bottle rolling under the foot reduces acute pain. In chronic cases heat application can also help reduce the symptoms.
Weight loss: Losing weight will help reduce tension on the plantar fascia with every step.
Fully covered footwear must be used to avoid recurrence.
Pain Relief Medications like analgesics and anti-inflammatory are advisable.
For chronic heel pain management or surgical advice consult a podiatrist. Steroids and anesthetic injectable at the site of spur may be advised in severe cases.
Prevention is of course better than having to resort to having a heel bone spur operation with all of the life complications that that procedure involves so get streching that plantar fascia,wear a foot brace,lose weight if you have some to lose.
Plantar Fascia stretching for pain relief
Healthlink Medical college of Wisconsin
| By Dr. Meenaz M Published: 10/4/2007 |
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