Just about any sort of persistent pain can be maddening, especially when you can’t pinpoint the exact cause. One of the most frustrating examples of this is heel pain. Not only do you want to know what’s causing it, you want to be able to get rid of it as soon as possible. More than likely, you’re either suffering from plantar fasciitis or heel spurs; knowing the specific cause will help you formulate an effective plan of action.
Questions to Ask Yourself
If you can say “yes” to any of the following, then you may have plantar fasciitis:
- Do you have a sharp heel pain?
- Does it feel like you’re always stepping on a small stone?
- Does the pain subside after you’ve walked a while?
- Does the pain occur when you first get out of bed or after you’ve been sitting for extended periods of time?
While plantar fasciitis is typically associated with a great deal of pain, heel spurs sometimes hurt and sometimes don’t. In many instances, in fact, people didn’t even know they had a heel spur until it showed up on an X-ray.
How the Two Differ
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that runs from your heel to your forefoot. It creates the arch in your foot and also connects your toes with your heel bone. While this inflammation can obviously be extremely painful, with the right treatment you could recover completely within just a few months. It’s important that you use a quality heel cup and make sure you maintain good flexibility through proper stretching.
A heel spur, on the other hand, is a sharp growth that occurs at the Calcaneus, or the front portion of your heel bone. While heel pain can be a result, it’s important to not that it’s not the actual spur itself that causes the pain. Rather, it’s the inflamed tissue that surrounds the spur that causes discomfort.
You may think that because you’re suffering from heel pain that you have heel spurs when in fact you may actually have plantar fasciitis. That’s why it’s important that you not only see a doctor but also use products designed to treat the problem and provide relief. If you would like to learn more, call Medi-Dyne at 1-800-810-1740.
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