Excruciating heel pain is usually caused by a number of things, and among those are plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Plenty of doctors and patients alike confuse the conditions heel spur and plantar fasciitis. While they are related to each other, the aren’t the same conditions. Around 70 percent of patients who have plantar fasciitis have heel spur. However, not all patients who have heel spur have symptoms of pain in heel or have plantar fasciitis. How plantar fasciitis and heel spur relates to each other is not know. What is known, however, is that while they are related to each other they are two completely different things.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis Anyway?

The plantar fascia is a fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot. This broad, inelastic and thick band of tissue starts from the heel bone or the calcaneus and ends the metatarsal bones on the ball of the foot. This tight tissue band basically acts like a bowstring and holds together the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is then a condition that refers to the inflammation of these muscles. The inflammation is caused by an injury of the plantar fascia. Most typically, plantar fasciitis is caused – but not always so-by repeated trauma near the heel, where the muscle is attached to the calcaneus. Plantar fasciitis can occur in all age groups, however, it is mostly seen in middle aged men and women.

 What About a Heel Spur?

A heel spur, on the other hand, is a hook or focal point of bone that grows on the heel. This bone growth usually protrudes from the point as to where the plantar fascia attaches itself to a person’s heel bone. A heel spur is though to happen when the part of the plantar fascia attached to the heel bone or calcaneus tears away. When this happens, the outer layer of the bone is injured and can cause bleeding. This exposed area can then ossify and cause a heel spur. Basically, a heel spur does not cause plantar fasciitis condition, but can come along as a symptom of the condition. Heel spurs can occur in all ages as well, but is usually present in middle aged men and women.

 So, What’s The Difference?

Heel spurs can occur without any accompanying symptom of pain at all. So if a person has both plantar fasciitis and heel spur, there is a huge possibility that it is not the heel spur that causes pain but the constant irritation and inflammation of the plantar fascia. Home treatments for plantar fasciitis and heel spurs are basically the same  such as ice packs, heel inserts, stretches and anti – inflammatory medication. It is best to remember though, that these treatments merely take away the pain caused by the condition. Since plantar fasciitis is usually the main cause of pain and not the heel spur, treating the spur (which is basically just a symptom of the pain) is not the solution to the problem at all.

Most patients with plantar fasciitis now respond positively to non – surgical treatments, but recovery time can be slow. While some treatments can work for one patient, it may not work for all. Thus, it is still always very important to get proper medical care for the plantar fasciitis condition.

Heel pain is a common complaint among lots of people, and one of the most common causes for the condition is plantar fasciitis. It is important to remember, though, that not all cases of pain in heel are caused by plantar fasciitis. There are other underlying conditions which may cause the pain, thus an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause should be made in order to get the right treatment and exercises for heal pain that  the cause.

Here are some possible causes of heel pain that should be taken into consideration.

• Plantar Fasciitis – Of course, plantar fasciitis comes up as the first probable reason for pain in heel, and this is due to the irritation of the tissues that form the arch on the foot. Some common symptoms of this condition include pain in heel caused by prolonged standing and walking.
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – Quite similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in a person’s hand, tarsal tunnel syndrome is caused by an entrapment of a large nerve in the back of the foot. This condition can also be one of the possible causes of heel pain.
• Posterior Heel Pain – Unlike plantar fasciitis where pain comes from underneath the foot, pain in heel for posterior heel pain occurs usually behind the foot. Some causes of this heel pain include Achilles tendonitis.
• Stress Fractures – Stress fractures are uncommon, but should also be considered among the possible causes of heel pain. A fracture in the heel is usually caused by acute events such as car crashes or falls. Some forces can also be low, but may happen regularly and repetitively, and this is quite common in athletes who jump or run on hard surfaces such as basketball players and distance runners.

What To Do With Heel Pain

You may find out that some symptoms of pain in heel may overlap, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of it. Thus, it is very important to seek medical attention in order to get the right treatment that specifically addresses the cause of the problem.

Best Treatments For Pain In Heel

How heel pain is treated completely depends on the root of the problem, thus, it is of complete importance to understand and find out the cause of the problem before starting on any treatment or recovery program. Again, if you are not sure of your diagnosis, it is always best to speak to your doctor and ask for medical advise.

Here are some common treatments that are listed for pain in heel. While these may not apply for all conditions, you may find them helpful for your heel pain situation.

• Rest – Rest is one of the best treatments for all kinds of heel pain. Avoid all precipitating activities such as exercising, standing or walking for prolonged periods of time. Resting may not completely eliminate  all the pain, but may lessen severe pain, and may reduce inflammation.
• Ice Packs – Ice packs can reduce inflammation, and may diminish symptoms of heel pain as well.
• Exercises For Heel Pain – Some exercises for heel pain, as well as stretches are great for relaxing the tissues of the feet and the ones surrounding the heel bone. Exercises for heel pain can be done at the beginning of the day and at night as well. Some appropriate exercises for heel pain are calf stretches, toe dips and cross leg stretches.
• Using the right shoes, using shoe inserts and taking anti – inflammatory medication can also help in decreasing pain in heel.

Remember that there are numerous causes for heel pain, and it may not just be because of plantar fasciitis. Thus, it is very important to seek medical intervention when it comes to diagnosis in order to get the treatment that’s specifically geared towards your condition.

Do you think plantar fasciitis can’t have a funny side?  Think it doesn’t affect those around you?  I’ve got a story that proves that both of those assumptions are nonsense. Here’s a true story that a friend of mine told me.

I used to be the Firm Administrator for a high-end, national accounting firm.  I had personally designed the interior of our brand spanking new office space, all 15,000 square feet, happily spending the half million dollar budget.  I selected carpet that would hide stains, modern but professional looking natural maple desks, and ergonomically designed cubicles.  My desk lost its usual spreadsheets and reports, now covered with pretty paint chips and catalogs of artwork. 

But my proudest work was the lobby.  I spent an entire day picking out the comfy chairs and coffee tables.  I commissioned an artist to do a series of pieces for one wall.  The firm name gleamed in stainless steel glory under the flood lights that had been installed in just the right spot to highlight the logo.  And I spent an entire day selecting the perfect granite slab for the reception desk.  When it was finished, it was a spectacular lobby that made me proud to walk into work each morning.

One Monday morning, I breezed into the office, giving my long-time receptionist my usual quick “Good morning, did you have a nice weekend?” before stopping in my tracks.  Linda was there, behind the gleaming granite desk, like a queen on her throne, except that her very large, bare foot was elevated on another chair.  Linda* was a large woman, in height and girth.  I had never noticed that her feet were so huge, and she was in dire need of a pedicure.  I gasped, thinking of King Henry VIII with his swollen, gouty leg propped up on a stool. 

Of course, I had to ask what was going on.  Her reply was stunning.  “I have to have my leg amputated!”  Knowing Linda to be our office drama queen, I knew to ask if she had actually seen a doctor yet.  In fact, she had not, but her foot hurt so much she was “just positive” that it needed amputation.  Finally, I convinced her to make an appointment with a podiatrist, then went back to my office, closed the door and tried to forget The Foot that awaited anyone who ventured into our office.

As it turned out, Linda plantar fasciitis.  I’d never known how exquisitely painful plantar fasciitis really was, and most people in our office had never heard of it.  Linda, of course, used her affliction for every bit of sympathy she could garner and embraced her new power to turn the rest of us into her slaves.  “Can you get me a refill on my coffee?  The doctor told me to stay off my foot.  Hazelnut creamer with Sweet ‘n Low, okay?”  My entire administrative team became her personal assistants.  “Can you make 15 copies of this for me and collate it?  I’m not allowed to stand on my foot.”  The partners of the firm, no doubt horrified by the site of The Foot elevated in one of their expensive chairs in their beautiful new lobby, asked me to “do something.”  I suggested they pay for a pedicure and remember that there were laws to protected ‘the disabled.’

After her surgery (you don’t even want to hear the blow-by-blow details of that), Linda graduated to being able to wear sandals.  Daily, we were greeted by The Foot, still elevated, but now dressed in hot pink or electric flip-flops.  Definitely not part of our dress code.   I began having nightmares of being beaten upside the head by flip-flops.

As uncomfortable as the experience was (for me, the partners, the administrative team, and any visitor who opened our lobby door and didn’t run screaming at the site of The Foot), I did end up feeling badly for anyone who has experienced plantar fasciitis. In addition to being damned inconvenient, it was obviously incredibly painful for Linda.  Eventually, we all accepted the daily site of The Foot, recognizing that her physical pain eclipsed our psychic discomfort. 

And when she was 100% back on her feet, I bought her a gift certificate for a pedicure.

*Linda’s real name has been changed to protect me from being killed by her husband.

Plantar Fasciitis? What the heck is plantar fasciitis? Yeah, funny looking word, huh? Weird spelling too. Well, Plantar Fasciitis (sometimes mispelled as Plantar Fascitis) is an irritation of the tendon on the bottom of  the foot, called the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia tendon runs from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot. Most of the time this inflammation manifests itself with severe pain in the heel of the foot.

The plantar fascia works kind of like a rubber band. It streches and contracts as needed. If the plantar fascia becomes damaged, it can tear, bruise or swell.

There are several risk factors that contribute to one having plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the plantar fascia. These factors include being overweight, diabetes, standing too long on your feet, being flat footed or having a high arch.

Plantar Fasciitis symptoms include pain in the heel while walking. Some might describe this pain like you are walking on bruises, or a knife or pin sticking into the bottom of the foot. This pain will be most severe in the morning when you first stand or after sitting for a period of time. Once you start moving around on the foot, the pain will lesson a little.

Do you have plantar fasciitis symptoms? Comment and tell us hear about them.