Heel Pain/Heel Spurs/Plantar Fasciitis

These problems are discussed together as they often have a similar origin. This painful aliment, sometimes referred to as a "stone bruise", is a result of several factors including over stretching of the plantar ligament that spans the bottom of the arch, high arched foot, flat foot, pronation or lack of soft tissue or ''fat pad'' on the bottom of the foot. This rarely is a result of specific injury but rather is more likely due to overuse with improper arch support.

The characteristic complaint is pain in the arch or bottom of the heel with initial walking after rest. The most common cause is pronation or dysfunctional flat foot. Pronation is an abnormal position of the foot with walking. The arch flattens and the feet roll in at the center. This makes the appearance of flat foot when walking although it may appear to have a visible arch when not walking. This is a foot type you are born with and can be made worse by poor shoe wear. Some of the common denominators for this problem are pronatory foot type, inappropriate shoe gear, poor arch support and often over use and rarely injury. This problem can often be treated conservatively by providing proper shoes and good arch support. Sometimes more aggressive treatment is needed and that will require a trip to the podiatrist. It is important to rule out other causes of heel pain such as stress fracture, tumor, or arthritis, especially when conservative measures fail.

Custom orthotics will control the dysfunciton of the foot when walking to prevent recurrence. Sometime there are simple solutions to help with the pain such as a Spenco shoe inserts. Below is a link with our recommendations for helping this problem.

 

 

Custom functional orthotics

Custom orthotics are the premier way of providing control of the foot to prevent heel pain and to control it once it has been relieved.

 

 

Prolabs
Prolab inserts are helpful to control foot dysfunction. These are an over the counter device that have a functional component to help control the abnormal motion of your foot. They are not custom made to your foot but are les expensive and can provide some foot control and pain relief.

 

Spenco Cross Trainer
The Spenco insert is especially helpful with initial onset of pain to provide extra cushioning comfort and support to your foot. These are often used as a first line treatment of heel pain.

 

 

Apex Anti-shox:
This is a high quality supportive type over the counter insert. It is recommended especially for people with poor circulation or diabetes as they offer excellent cushioning. They do not provide a large amount of foot control. All people with diabetes, poor circulation, burning or numbness in their feet or who have had previous ulcers absolutely need to see their foot doctor before and after obtaining any type of foot device including diabetic custom orthotics to prevent injury to their feet that could lead to loss of their feet.