Dr. Holdren Otis
“You almost want to pee in your bed rather than go to the bathroom. It’s really painful in the morning,” Albert Puljos, a baseball player for the Angels, said it best in an interview with USA today in 2013. Plantar fasciitis, also known as heel spur syndrome, is the most common cause of heel pain. It is seen in individuals who are physically active or have increased their daily activity. The plantar fascia itself is a thick band of tissue attaching to the heel bone, the calcaneus. Tugging and pain are usually felt at this attachment, but pain can be in the arch as well. Pain in the morning and when getting up to walk after sitting for a period of time are common complaints.
Although plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of the heel pain, there are other more serious things that can cause pain in the same area. These things include a stress fracture of the calcaneus (heel bone), which occurs with increased activity as well. Also tarsal tunnel, very similar to carpal tunnel of the hand and wrist, can cause shooting pain, tingling and numbness to the foot. In children the closing of the growth plate can cause heel pain when running and jumping. Having your heel pain checked out by a doctor is very important to rule out the other diagnoses. In addition, your pain can be treated quickly and efficiently with all that the medical community has to offer. It is abnormal to have heel pain that does not go away. Call Fenton Footcare today to see one of our doctors.