Heel Spurs or Plantar Fasciitis? A Heel Pain By Any Other Name

Suffering from heel pain is bad enough but not knowing what's causing it or how to make it stop just makes it worse! Terms like heel spurs and Plantar Fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis) get used interchangeably but how do you determine what's causing your heel pain?

Define your pain

While nothing replaces a diagnosis from a physician, a few simple questions can help you narrow down your plan of action.

Do you have...

• An incredible pain in your heel when you take your first steps in the morning or after getting up from being seated for a while?
• A sharp, stabbing heel pain?
• A feeling like you are stepping on a small stone?
• Heel pain that feels like it's also in your arch?
• Pain that subsides after you have walked around for a while?

Any one or even all of these symptoms could indicate plantar fasciitis. Heel spurs don't always cause pain. In fact, they often show up unexpectedly on X-rays taken for some other problem.

So, what's the difference?

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the forefoot. This band connects the heel bone to the toes and creates the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia which happens when the plantar fascia is overstretched or overused.

With this condition, the pain is felt in the base of the heel and can make even everyday walking difficult.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "about 90 percent of the people who have plantar fasciitis recover with conservative treatments in just a few months. "

The two most important steps you can take to treat plantar fasciitis is to use a quality heel cup in your shoes and to perform targeted stretching exercises designed to maintain good flexibility throughout the interconnective chain of the lower leg. In addition to these treatments, it is recommended that you reduce your activity level when experiencing severe pain and apply ice to the affected area regularly.

What is a Heel Spur?

A heel spur is a sharp bony growth at the front side of the heel bone (Calcaneus). It usually begins on the front of your heel bone and points toward the arch of your foot - without your realizing it.

Heel spurs can cause pain in the back of the foot especially while standing or walking. However, it should be noted that the spur itself is actually not causing any pain. It is the inflamed tissue around the spur that causes pain and discomfort.

Many people who suffer from heel pain are quick to conclude that they have heel spurs but general heel pain as described earlier is much more likely to be Plantar fasciitis. Only an x-ray of the heel bone will prove whether a person has a true heel spur.

Treating a True Heel Spur

In the past, doctors often performed surgery to remove heel spurs, believing them to be the cause of the pain. Most of that pain is now determined to be associated with plantar fasciitis. In treating plantar fasciitis now, doctors rely more on ice, heel cups, arch supports, physical therapy, and pain medications.

Sufferers from heel spurs can find relief by using a quality heel cup or arch support in their shoes. A heel cup will provide extra cushion to the heel and reduce the amount of pressure and shock that your foot experiences. Treating heel spurs can take some time but sufferers who use heel cups, choose sensible shoes, and include stretching and strengthening exercises for the plantar fascia and other surrounding structures such as the Achilles tendon can expect significant pain relief.

5 Easy Steps to Treat Your Tired and Aching Feet

Traveling, work, and even your daily routine can take their toll on your body, especially your feet. In fact, the average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. That's more than four times the circumference of the globe. All that walking and standing in line can result in tired, aching feet. But it doesn't have to be that way. Your feet are designed to bear weight and absorb shock, but the one thing your feet are not supposed to do is hurt.

Here are 5 easy steps you can take to prevent and relieve foot pain.

Choose Your Shoes Wisely

Technology has come a long way since the invention of sandals and high heels, but we still insist on wearing them regardless of their effect on our feet. As we age, the natural padding on our feet starts to wear away. The right shoes can compensate for this. But the lack of arch support, heel and ball of foot cushioning in dress shoes, high heels, and sandals don't offer this type of support. That's why women suffer from four times as many foot problems as men; lifelong patterns of wearing high heels and standing on their feet all day are often the culprit. So if you want to stop the pain, buy shoes with a low to moderate heel, good arch support, and shock absorbency.

Shopping for shoes is best done in the afternoon as our feet swell a little during the day, and it's best to buy shoes to fit them then. Have your feet measured every time you purchase shoes and do it while you're standing. When you try on shoes, try them on both feet; many people have one foot larger than the other, and it's best to fit the larger one.

Cushion for Comfort

While your choice of shoes is important, sometimes adding some extra cushion, heel and arch support can make all the difference. Depending on the type of shoe you are wearing and where the pain is, you can choose from a variety of heel cups, ball of foot cushions, arch supports and insoles that will ease the pain from standing on your feet all day. There are a number of products designed to fit into everything from a sandal, to a high heel pump to a running shoe so that you can customize the cushion you need for each pair of shoes you own.

Take the Pressure Off

An average day of walking brings a force equal to over 3000 kg to your feet, so taking the pressure off only makes sense. One very simple thing to do to take care of your feet is to take a warm footbath for 10-15 minutes two or three times a week. This will go a long way in keeping the feet relaxed and helping to prevent mild foot pain caused by fatigue. Adding 115 grams of Epsom salts will also help to increase circulation. Taking the time to take regular foot-baths instead of waiting until your feet are aching will give you the most benefit.

Massage Away the Stress

Massaging your feet will help increase blood circulation and decrease stress. Not to mention that it just feels really good. There are many different massage tools out on the market specifically designed for feet. Can't wait to ease the pain? You can simply place a tennis ball on the floor and roll your foot back and forth on it. Remember a massage should not hurt your foot, therefore, be gentle, but apply enough pressure to help decrease any foot pain you may be experiencing.

Our final tip is something that's extremely important but most people simply never think of it...

Stretch Yourself

Your body is made up of an interconnective chain of muscles, tendons and ligaments that all impact each other. This is especially evident when it comes to performance and pain. When everything is in balance movement is painless, almost effortless. But when a link of that chain is weakened or injured, the "domino effect" of that weak link may be greater than you realize.

Have you ever sprained an ankle only to find a week later that you're suffering from lower back pain? Then you've experienced first-hand how weak links put undue stress on stronger ones. Weak muscles cause tighter (stronger) muscles to be recruited by the central nervous system in order to perform the same movement. So your foot pain of today, could end up being a real pain in your back next week.

You can ensure that your feet can go the distance by regularly stretching your hamstrings, calves, plantar fascia and toes. Keeping your calves, hamstrings, and foot muscles flexible and strong will go a long way in helping to avoid aching feet.

Following these simple guidelines should keep everyone from the busiest of world travelers to weekend warriors and all family members from missing a step. Take care of your feet and they will take you wherever you need to go in life.

Health and Fitness: Foot Health Article Category

JOINTS OF THE FOOT AND ANKLE:

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of the major joints of the foot and ankle, describing their structure and function. There are 28 bones and 33 joints in the foot and ankle. Some function to support the weight of our bodies, while others are designed to disperse that weight and move us forward. The foot is relatively stable because there is little free movement between the bones of the foot. The foot must absorb the shock of the body weight every time we take a step.

Because there are so many small bones in the foot, and many of them articulate with more than one bone, the names of these joints can get quite confusing. To add to the confusion, different books will call the joints different names. I have tried to include as many of the different names as possible. I recommend reading this article with an open anatomy book, a picture is worth a thousand words.

TALOCRURAL JOINT:

This joint is made by the articulation between the talus and the distal tibia and fibula. It's also called the mortise joint, due to its strong resemblance to a mortise joint in woodworking. This joint is responsible for most of the plantarflexion/dorsiflexion of the foot, and bears 100% of the weight of the body before dispersing it into the remainder of the foot.

SUBTALOR JOINT:

Also called the talocalcaneal joint, this joint is formed by the articulation between talus and calcaneus. The talus sits on the anterior two-thirds of the calcaneus. Through a combination of movements, the subtalor joint provides inversion/eversion of the ankle joint. When standing, the ground restricts the movement of the calcaneus, so subtalor joint motion is critical when weight bearing.

TRANSVERSE TARSAL JOINTS:

Also called the midtarsal joints, there are a lot of different joints in this category. Basically, the midtarsal joints are the transitional link between the hindfoot and the forefoot. This area adds to the motion of the calcaneus (inversion/eversion), and helps the foot transition from weight-bearing to walking. The tarsal joint is very important in the early stance phase of gait. It is the talus and calcaneus articulating with the navicular and cuboid bones, so there are many different names for the joints in this area.

NAVICULAR JOINT:

The bones that articulate with the navicular form many joints. It is easier to look at the function of these joints as a whole, rather than specify each individual joint. The navicular bone is at the top of the arch of your foot. This area participates in both hindfoot motion and in midfoot motion. It's two faced - it articulates the talus and calcaneus so on that side it helps inversion/eversion, and articulates with the mid foot which adds to dorsi/plantar flexion.

TARSOMETATARSAL JOINTS:

Tarsometatarsal joint function is a continuation of the transverse tarsal joint - they regulate position of the metatarsals and phalanges (toes) relative to the ground.

METATARSOPHALANGEAL JOINTS:

These joints make up the balls of your feet. It is where the long bones of your feet (metatarsals) and your toes (phalanges) meet. These joints allow flexion/extension of the toes. When the heel leaves the ground, these joints distribute your weight evenly across the ball of the foot, providing a smooth transition of weight onto the toes.

INTERPHALANGEAL JOINTS:

The toes function to smooth the weight shift to the opposite foot in gait and help maintain stability by pressing against the ground both when standing and walking.

The foot and ankle are very complex structures, working as a unit to support the weight of our bodies, while providing an amazing amount of movement and stability. The more we understand about the bones and joints of the foot, the more we can appreciate what they do.

What Causes Stinky Feet and How to Get Relief

Having stinky feet can be very embarrassing, especially during warm weather. While everyone else is wearing sandals or flip-flops, a person with foot odor is stuck in socks and closed-toe shoes. People whose feet smell dread trips to the pool or beach, where they will have no choice but to reveal their stinky little secret. Why do some people have foot odor while others do not? Is there a way to address the odor that does not cost much money or require a huge investment of time?

Body sweat is a fact of life and is not an issue in itself because sweat is odorless. Dead skin cells are also a natural occurrence and are usually not an issue. It is the bacteria naturally occurring on the body that is the problem. This bacteria mixes with sweat and dead skin cells to create a very ripe-smelling situation. The odor is caused by an isovaleric acid and on the feet, it carries the medical term of bromhidrosis. None of this sounds very pleasant but fortunately, the situation can be addressed.

The first thing a person suffering from foot odor should realize is that many other people have the same condition. In fact, as many as half of us experience foot odor during our lifetime. Even people who focus on hygiene may find that their feet smell. Normal bathing may not be enough to address the issue. Scrubs, creams, powders, and lotions are available to address foot odor but these are expensive, especially when used for a prolonged period. In addition, many products simply mask the smell, doing nothing to address the cause of the problem.

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outermost layer of skin. Facials, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion use exfoliation to maintain the skin. Far from being a new technique, exfoliation has been used since ancient Egyptian times. A wide assortment of chemicals and equipment can be used to exfoliate skin. In the Middle Ages, people used wine to chemically exfoliate, with tartaric acid serving as the active ingredient.

The practice of exfoliation removes the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. This cleans the skin by unclogging pores and ridding the surface of bacteria. In the process, newer skin is revealed, creating a younger appearance. When exfoliation is performed on the feet, dead skin cells are removed, eliminating one component of the foot odor formula.

By using a foot exfoliating tool combined with soap and water, a person naturally gets rid of existing foot odor and prevents the condition from reoccurring. Exfoliation targets the cause of the problem, creating long-lasting results. Regular foot exfoliation keeps feet smelling and looking great. The skin is rejuvenated and blood flow increases.

When people learn how foot odor develops, they realize it is not their fault. When they learn how to address the issue naturally with exfoliation, they realize they need not be victims of the situation. With regular exfoliation, people who previously had stinky feet can enjoy wearing open-toed shoes and flip-flops.