Plantar Fasciitis Part 2

What are heel spurs?

This is a bony growth on your heel bone.  We all think of bone as the skeleton in the
corner of the classroom in high school biology. Bone is actually a dynamic living tissue.  When bone is put under stress at the site of
a tendon or ligament, such as the Achilles Tendon or the Plantar Fascia, it can
make the bone bleed.  When bone bleeds,
it forms new bone to heal.   These spurs can be seen
on X-rays and can extend out as far as half an inch.  Fortunately, the spur is not the actual
source of the problem.

What is plantar fasciitis?

The band of tissue that runs on the bottom (plantar
surface) of the foot is called the plantar fascia.  If you add an itis onto a word it means
inflammation, so this is inflammation of the plantar fascia.  This is very common in athletes that need to
do a lot of jumping.  This can be
devastating for basketball players and is quite painful!

The plantar fascia can become stretched over time beyond
where it normally should go.  This can
lead to small tears in the fascia which leads to inflammation.  This in turn may lead to a heel spur. 

Improper shoes with no support may aggravate this condition.  I must say that the majority of patients that
come into my office, are sporting a pair of cute flip flops or other shoes with
no support. 

With plantar fasciitis the first step after a period of
rest is often the most painful.  This is
due to the plantar fascia elongating or stretching out suddenly.  Most people find with walking that the pain
decreases or lessens, but will return after a period of rest. 

Stay tuned to learn more about plantar fasciitis!!