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Your Foot Book HEEL PAIN - LOW BACK PAIN OF FEET Heel pain is a very common affliction that affects literally millions of Americans each year. There are causes for heel pain: Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, gout, Reiter's disease and others may cause heel pain. Atrophy or withering of the heel fat pad, a normal condition with aging, may also cause heel pain and sensitivity. Stress fractures of the heel bone (calcaneus) and nerve entrapment (a pinched nerve about the heel) can also be a source of heel discomfort. The most common cause of heel pain, by far, is plantar fasciitis . On the bottom (plantar) surface of the foot, a thick ligament like band (fascia) runs from the toes to the heel. This plantar fascia stretches with standing, running and jumping and may become irritated where it attaches to the heel producing heel pain and plantar fasciitis. In past times, this condition was noted as a "heel spur". Some patients with heel pain were noted to have a bony spur attached to the heel near the area of discomfort. We know now that these heel spurs are present in a large portion of the population without any symptoms and only 57% of patients with heel pain possess such a spur. This spur is also located higher on the heel and is rarely the source of heel pain. Operations and treatment designed to remove the spur, therefore, have limited success. Common symptoms of plantar fasciitis are severe pain in the bottom of the heel, especially in the morning with your first steps or upon getting up after sitting for awhile. The pain may be sharp, burning and may cause a limp. This material does not constitute medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. Foot Menders will not answer medical questions via email. Please consult a physician for specific treatment recommendations. |
