You know that something is wrong. You’re having trouble walking, you can’t stand for longer than a minute, and you couldn’t run if your life depended on it. You’re trying to figure out what could be causing this annoying and debilitating pain, but there are so many things that can affect the foot, you’re not sure where to start.

 

The most common causes of heel pain are bone spurs and inflammation of the fascia ligament, also known as plantar fasciitis. Heel spurs are tiny bony growths on the back or underside of the heel that press into your foot, while plantar fasciitis is caused by the stretching of the ligament the connects the ball of the foot and the heel.

Here is a quick way to discover if a heel spur or plantar fasciitis could be causing your pain:

  • If the pain is worse first thing in the morning, you likely have plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia often tightens overnight, making your first few steps after getting out of bed extremely painful.
     
  • If you have had bone spurs in other parts of your body, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a spur in your heel.Many people have bone spurs without ever experiencing pain, and most patients with plantar fasciitis will also have non-painful heel spurs appear on an x-ray.
     
  • If walking on tiptoe makes it worse,you may have plantar fasciitis.Since stretching the ligament on the bottom of the foot causes the pain, any action that puts pressure on the area makes the pain worse.

To find out what’s causing your heel pain, call the trusted podiatrists at HealthMark Foot & Ankle Associates today for an appointment.

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