What causes heel pain? The 2 signs of plantar fasciitis
The 2 signs that your heel pain might be coming from plantar fasciitis
As a podiatrist, I’ve gotten a couple comments asking about heel pain or plantar fasciitis.
This heel pain that we now know as Plantar fasciitis can be a debilitating disease, that causes severe pain in the foot that prevents you from doing your normal daily activities. There’s been a lot of theories over the years about what causes this pain, including people in the 1930s hypothesizing it was gonorrhea and other bacterial infections, later thoughts were that the heel spur pointing into the muscle belly caused the pain, or loss of fat for cushioning the heel, or even microfractures of the bone
So, what REALLY is plantar fasciitis? As the name suggests, plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is 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.
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.
I think the first step for anyone at home is to do is consider whether their foot pain is really plantar fasciitis. The last thing you want to do is be doing a treatment for plantar fasciitis, when it’s really something else. And then getting frustrated bc you’re not getting better bc focusing on wrong thing
If you want an accurate diagnosis, I’d recommend seeing a doctor, but in this article, I’m going to reveal the two signs that I use to help diagnose plantar fasciitis
Number 1, and most important sign, is post static dyskinesia, which means severe pain in the first steps of the day, or the first few steps after any period of rest.
Another example would be pain after stepping out after a long car ride. The reason for this pain is the fascia is in a relaxed position for an extended period of time and then bam, its stretched back out as you take a step, and you get pain again
It’s a classic sign of plantar fasciitis. And if someone dont have heel pain right as they get out of bed in the morning, they should consider a different diagnosis
Number 2, there is pain when pressed at the insertion of the plantar fascia.
Everyone’s a little bit different, sometimes people are diffusely tender around this heel area, occasionally some people have pain that radiates up the arch of the foot, but i’ll show you one thing:
When you push up the big toe, and make the fascia stick out, then press where the fascia is attached on the heel bone, that will be very painful in someone with plantar fasciitis.
Other things to note, there are factors that put you at risk of developing plantar fasciitis, here’s some of them in order of how significant they are in my experience
People with a flat foot, aka pes planus or a pronated foot type; The reason is that this foot type can create an abnormal amount of stretching and pulling on the ligaments and tendons attaching to the bottom back of the heel bone.
also having high arched feet
Equinus, aka a tight achilles tendon, having tight calf muscles
Spending a lot of time standing on your feet, especially on hard surfaces.
So a lot of people whose job requires them to stand all day, for example like hairdressers
Along the same lines, if you’re an athlete that runs or jumps alot, so a runner or a dancer
Being significantly overweight or obese
Another common cause of heel pain could be inflammation of the achilles tendon. But not all heel pain is even coming from the heel itself. For example, Sometimes if a patient has sharp pain on both of their feet, that would clue the doctor in to consider whether the pain is coming from their back. That's right, Lower back pack pain can be referred to the foot
So as a review, the two signs that you might have plantar fasciitis are:
The pain is worst in the first steps of the day or the first steps after a long period of rest and
You can pinpoint the pin at the bottom of the heel, where the plantar fascia attached to calcaneus bone. Especially while extending your big toe.
These are just two general signs, so if you think you might have plantar fasciitis, I’d encourage you to make an appointment with your podiatrist to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Luckily there are many clinically proven treatments for plantar fasciitis. Certain things such as a steroid injection can only be done at the podiatrist office, but there are many others including activity modification, icing, night splints, orthotics and a stretching routine that can be done at home. And you can often get better! My next video will show you the stretching exercise routine and other examples of how you can treat this heel pain at home. Check my YouTube channel for the next video!
The information in this article is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained here is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional.