Doctor’s and patients a like are given to using the terms plantar fasciitis and heel spur interchangeably. There is a clear misunderstanding of the facts when they often confuse the terms plantar fasciitis and heel spur. While these two diagnoses are definitely often related, they are just as definitely not the one and the same. The plantar fascia is the fibrous connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot creating the arch of the foot. It is when this tissue is under assault from any number of sources and it becomes inflamed that you have plantar fasciitis. A heel spur on the other is a outgrowth of bone emanating from the calcaneus or heel bone.( you know the dull knife that digs into surrounding tissue).
Seven out of ten patients with plantar fasciitis develop a heel spur that can be readily seen when subjected to view by X ray.
Heels spurs do not always hurt but when they do it can be a real doozie of a pain. It feels like a dull knife being used to dig a hole in the bottom of your foot at the heel. The exact relationship between plantar fasciitis and heel spurs is something of a mystery .
The question of who will experience heel spurs is asked. Heel spurs are common in patients who present with a history a history of foot pain caused by the inflammatory condition, plantar fasciitis. Heel spurs can be found in all age groups. The heel spur itself is not thought by some to be the primary cause of pain, This is a dubious distinction and I think that it is indeed the cause of the pain as it digs away and irritates surrounding tissue. Others hold that the inflammation and irritation of the plantar fascia is thought to be the primary problem. It is a combination of two conditions that cause the pain and I will speculate that the one leads to and exacerbates the other.The diagnosis of heel spur is made when an X-ray shows the bone growth protruding from the bottom of the foot at the point where the plantar fascia is attached to the heel bone. That’s where the pain is too in most cases.
Heel spurs will form in some of those who have plantar fasciitis, most likely to occur in patients who have had the problem for a long time. Three quarters of patients with plantar fasciitis eventually have a heel spur, and fortunately about one half those who have an Xray confirmed bone spur will not suffer the worst of the conditions symptoms of extreme tenderness and the resultant pain in the surrounding tissue.
Treatment of heel spurs is the same as treatment that is beneficial for those suffering plantar fasciitis. Because these problems are related, the treatment is the same.
First up is rest of the foot. This is often difficult to do since while the pain can be intense you can still get around and continue to worsen the injury in the process. So force yourself to rest the foot . Do not endure the pain and carry on as usual this is what often leads to a much worsened cases and a much more prolonged healing and recovery. So rest rest rest.
Ice it down this is a one on one mano a mano hot vs cold approach you really want to get the inflammation decreased. Ice intermittently used will do this quite effectively.
Once you have rested and gotten the inflammation under some control it is time to begin a gentle stretching program. There is lot’s of stretching advice in the pages of this website. a caution here do not force the stretches to beyond comfort it will take some time to get this done to the point you will ultimately do. You risk re-injury if you are too aggressive to start with stretching.
Get a night splint or plantar fasciitis foot brace. This does the job of gently stretching throughout the night when the inactivity of the foot leaves the plantar fascia most likely to shorten.
You may be advised to use anti-inflammatory over the counter drugs or even be prescribed more pwoerful ones. try to not become dependent on these for relief as they may help but they don’t heal. Remember to take a preventative attitude to this condition. Since it is not a disease that is "cured" with treatment and it is a condition that is managed for best results. Get to managing.
In past article here we have talked about other treatments and therapies for these conditions. This article is about the basics. In the end these are what you can do on your own and fortunately the results are often grand.
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