Plantar Fasciitis: Both heel pain and heel spurs are frequently associated with plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of fibrous connective tissue (fascia) running along the bottom (plantar surface) of the foot, from the heel to the ball of the foot. It is common among athletes who run and jump a lot, and it can be quite painful.

The condition occurs when the plantar fascia is strained over time beyond its normal extension, causing the soft tissue fibers of the fascia to tear or stretch at points along its length; this leads to inflammation, pain, and possibly the growth of a bone spur where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. The inflammation may be aggravated by shoes that lack appropriate support, especially in the arch area, and by the chronic irritation that sometimes accompanies an athletic lifestyle.

Resting provides only temporary relief. When you resume walking, particularly after a night’s sleep, you may experience a sudden elongation of the fascia band, which stretches and pulls on the heel. As you walk, the heel pain may lessen or even disappear, but that may be just a false sense of relief. The pain often returns after prolonged rest or extensive walking.

Of the more than 28 million people in the US with diabetes, about half will develop neuropathy, a loss of feeling in the lower extremities. This nerve damage means an open sore or injury on the foot may go unnoticed until it becomes infected, which can eventually lead to the need for partial or full amputation of the foot or lower leg. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower-limb amputation.

However, while the risk of foot complications may be frightening, there are many ways in which YOU can help outsmart diabetes!

Take a step in the right direction by having your feet checked regularly by a podiatrist. Podiatrists are the most qualified doctors to care for your feet, based on their education, training, and experience! When you add a podiatrist to your health-care team, he or she can provide you with important information so you’re able to better manage the effects of diabetes on your feet.

Heel pain can also occur in children, most commonly between ages 8 and 13, as they become increasingly active in sports activity in and out of school. This physical activity, particularly jumping, inflames the growth centers of the heels; the more active the child, the more likely heel pain will occur. Sever’s Disease, a common problem in growing children, occurs before the closing of the heel bone growth plate, during which time the Achilles tendon pulls on the heel bone and creates a shear force or stress on the growth plate, resulting in mild swelling and heel pain. It is a self-limiting condition that resolves when the growth plate closes. Podiatric care is necessary to protect the growing bone and to provide pain relief. We can recommend treatment options, which may include shoes with shock-absorbing heel cups, orthotics, anti-inflammatory medication, ice massage, and Achilles tendon stretching.

Heel spurs are often associated with plantar fasciitis. This bony growth and projection, visible by X-ray, appears on the bottom of the heel and extends towards the toes and can develop from the pull and tension of the plantar fascia. A heel spur indicates stress on the bone from the pull of the fascia, and is not a cause of heel pain. However, because a heel spur is usually associated with the heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis,
heel pain is sometimes referred to as “heel spur syndrome.” Heel spurs result from strain on the heel bone by the stretching of the plantar fascia, the long band of tissue that connects the heel and the ball of the foot. Heel spurs may result from biomechanical imbalance, running or jogging, improperly fi tted or excessively worn shoes, or obesity. On rare occasions, the heel spur may fracture and pull away from the heel bone and could then be the cause of heel pain.

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