There are a number of types of heel pain, such as Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spur Syndrome. A lesser known cause of heel pain is a condition called Bursitis. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that cushions the muscles, tendons and bones in your joints. It helps to keep these from rubbing against each other and reduces friction in the areas around the joints. Bursitis refers to inflammation of the bursa. Repeated movement and pressure on the bursa can cause it to swell and become irritated and inflamed. Trauma, bacterial infection, or crystal deposits can also cause bursitis. The joints that are usually affected by bursitis are the large joints such as the shoulder, hip and knee but in some cases also the heel joint. People suffering from bursitis may experience pain and tenderness around the affected soft tissue, pain that worsens with movement or pressure, and visible swelling or skin redness in the area of the inflamed bursa in the heel, which may restrict movement and affect daily activities. Bursitis is in the heel area is also called Retrocalcaneal Bursitis or Calcaneal Bursitis and the cause of this type of heel pain. The calf comprises of two major muscle groups, both of which insert into the heel bone via the Achilles Tendons. Between the Achilles tendon and the heel bone lies a bursa known as the retrocalcaneal bursa. During contraction of the calf, tension is placed through the Achilles tendon and this rubs against the retrocalcaneal bursa.

Excessively tight shoes may also increase friction on the retrocalcaneal bursa. When this friction is excessive due to too much repetition or high force, irritation and inflammation of the bursa may occur. This condition is called a retrocalcaneal bursitis. Between the heel bone and fat pad there is a small sack of fluid called a bursa. If this bursa becomes inflamed through over use then plantar fasciitis will result.

The solution is rest. Padding with a hole for the bursa to fit in can be made. If this injury goes on for a long time some doctors might give a steroid injection. Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel and pain. This chronic problem is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of ligament that connects the heel bone to the bones in the ball of your foot. This inflammation may result from over-use or excess body weight and also poor lower limb biomechanics. This then causes the plantar fascia to tear or pull away from the heel bone. Sometimes the inflamed ligament may also irritate a nerve ending and cause even more pain. A bony spur may also develop where the fascia and heel bone meet. (more...)

Heel pain originates deeply inside the foot, directly on the heel bone or within the heel's connective tissues, called the plantar fascia. Different layers of fatty tissue surround the heel bone, designed to cushion the impact of walking and running and protecting the bones and muscles of the foot. Below this padding a fibrous band of connective tissue extends from the heel bone into the ball of the foot and it supports the arch and reaches across to the toes. Pain and inflammation normally results when these tissues become irritated or inflamed, or when small spurs grow on the heel bone, as well as micro-teraing of the fascia tissue. Heel Spurs are a projection or growth of bone may be called a spur, and can grow where the muscles of the foot attach to bone. While most heel spurs are painless others that are determined to be the cause of chronic heel pain may require surgical removal. Other causes include overuse or mechanical causes (over-pronation, fallen arches) can cause discomfort in the heel. A painful heel may also accompany a more serious condition such as gout, osteo-arthritis, nerve injuries, or heel bone abnormalities, collagen disorders or tumours etc. Heel Pain (also known as Plantar Fasciitis) is one of the most common soft-tissue foot disorders in the UK, yet not a lot is known about its medical aetiology. To determine which risk factors are involved for heel pain we examined factors including limited ankle dorsi-flexion, being overweight as well as weight-bearing time during walking. Individuals with more than 0 degrees of dorsiflexion showed an odds ratio of of 25 compared to the reference group who displayed more than 10 degrees of ankle dorsi-flexion. People with a body mass index of more than 30 kg/m 2 had an odds ratio of 6 compared with the reference group of less than 25 kg/m 2. People who spent the majority of their workday on their feet had an odds ratio of 4 when compared to those who did not. Therefore the risk of foot pain increases as the range of ankle dorsi-flexion decreases. Individuals who spend the majority of their workday on their feet and over-weight people are also at a much higher risk level to suffer from this condition.

Non-operative Treatment options for heel pain

Heel cord and plantar fascia stretching: in patients with mild heel cord contracture heel cord stretching has shown great benefits in several retrospective studies. Heel cord stretching will unload stress over the midfoot and will alleviate plantar fascial strain in the majority of patients. Dorsiflexing and stretching of the fascia itself can be initially very painful, but the patient should persist to experience the full benefits of this treatment. Casting forces the ankle to remain in a neutral position and places the heel cord in a stretched position. Night splints can often be effective, as are oral steroids or steroid injections. Doctors will employ an injection of 1 to 2 ml of corticosteroid from the medial side of heel; in some patients repeated steroid injections are required, even though this doesn't address any of the biomechanical causes of heel pain and spurs. Foot orthotics in conjunction with a stretching program, a prefabricated shoe insert is likely to produce more improvement in symptoms than a customized polypropylene devices. (more...)

Plantar fasciitis (also referred to as Fibromatosis of the plantar fascia) is an inflammation of the fascia at the bottom of your foot. The plantar fascia is the connective tissue band that runs under the foot and the ball of the foot connecting to the heel bone. Plantar Fasciitis is a frequently observed strain injury of the foot. It is characterised by pain under the heel bone (calcaneus) and/or under the foot during weight bearing activities like walking, running, standing and also sports. Because the pain resulting from this disease occurs mainly in the heel area we often speaks of heel pain, also referred to as heel spurs or calcaneal spurs. Let's have a look at the following. Risk factors, physiology, symptoms and treatment available.

Symptoms:

There is a rather diffuse pain below the centre of the heel which sometimes extends entire heel are and also the rest of the foot. Typically the pain will increase when you put weight on the heel and the pain is worst with first loading, e.g. in the morning or when you start moving starts after having sat for a while, watching TV or driving your car. Walking around for a while will often reduce the pain and sharp pain is replaced by a dull ache, often referred to as a stone bruise. (more...)

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem of in New Zealand and it can become a painful and restrictive, in some patients chronic injury that will take a while to recover from. Let's have a closer look at the symptoms and causes of plantar fasciitis. Many cases of plantar fasciitis can linger for weeks or months with pain increasing and decreasing in an unpredictable way. Plantar fasciitis discomfort may nearly disappear for several weeks, only to re-emerge completely after walking or running. Research in the USA shows that only about 7% of sufferers actually seek professional help from a doctor. Most middle-aged men and women have a chance of 55% to suffer from heel pain at some stage. First we need to understand the anatomy of the foot. Under the foot runs a long and wide fibrous band of connective tissue which in Latin is called the plantar fascia. It originates at the heel bone and runs along the bottom of the arch much like a fan, starting at one point (the heel) and fanning out to the base of each of the toes. The fascia are a quite tough and strong structure and performs a number of important functions during running, walking and sports. It also provides stability to the metatarsal bones (they are similar to your fingers, long bones in the foot). Your plantar fascia acts as a shock-absorber by tightening and stretching during the walking sequence for your legs, back and entire body. It helps lift off the longitudinal arch to prepare the foot for the propulsive phase of the foot's normal gait cycle. In runners plantar fasciitis tends to occur more often. In fact over 10% of running injuries in New Zealand are inflammation of the plantar fascia, which means many thousands of runners and joggers in NZ will encounter this problem every year! On the other hand people who are very inactive and live a sedentary lifestyle also at risk. Because inactivity promotes tightening and shortening of the foot and leg's ligaments, causing plantar fasciitis in these people.

Although it is a resilient ligament structure, the plantar fascia is not designed to be overly stretched, even though natural stretching occurs in the fascia every time your foot hits the ground and lifts off the ground. Research has shown that the fascia can only stretch at 110% of its normal length, beyond that micro-tearing of the tissue will occur. You have to bear in mind that when the foot lands up to 2-3 times of your total body weight is placed on the foot's structures. With running this can be up to 4-5 times your body weight! Not surprisingly plantar fasciitis occurs in many people of all ages, especially when they have gained some weight in recent years.

Understanding the gait cycle: (more...)

Foot pain is a very common complaint. About 70% of German people will suffer foot pain at some time in their life, especially people who are over 50 years old. The foot is quite a complex structure with 27 bones and 32 joints, inter-layered with over 100 ligaments and muscles. With every step you take, a force of 2-3 your bodyweight is placed on the feet and during one day you will take seven to nine thousand steps. So not surprisingy, at some stage in your life in you will suffer from some type of foot pain condition. This article the most common types of foot pain, including heel spurs, what causes these medical foot conditions and what you can do about them to alleviate foot pain. Foot pain, foot problems, or tired/aching feet many of us just accept these complaints, and don't seek a treatment solution or help from a health professional for their foot problem. Let’s look at the most common foot problems including Ball of Foot Pain, Heel Spur Syndrome, Dry Cracked Heels and more etc and find easy low-cost solutions for lasting foot pain relief and your walking comfort.

Heel Spur and Plantar Fasciitis

Heel spur is by far the most common foot problem in Germany. Probably half a million people in this country per year suffer from heel spurs. Heel pain is often associated with a sharp pain experienced with one’s first steps when getting out of bed in the morning or getting up from a chair after sitting down for a while. Plantar Fasciitis is the Latin term for this condition. It is very common in middle-aged to older people. In fact, half of the over 50 population will develop heel spurs! Commonly heel spur syndrome is caused by a painful stretching and microtearing of the plantar fascia band under the feet. Due to factors such as excessive strain and stress, weight-gain, ageing and/or a poor gait, the fascia ligament becomes inflamed at the calcaneus. After a while a bony spur may develop at the bottom of the calcaneus. The german term for heel spur is Fersenschmerzen and it is a very common foot condition. During rest or non-weight bearing periods the plantar fascia tightens up and becomes shorter. When your bodyweight is rapidly applied to the foot, the fascia stretches out and lengthens in a unnnatural fashion, which then causes microtears in the fascia. (more...)