subject: Suffering From Heel Pain? Find Relief Now [print this page] Foot pain can often interrupt your day-to-day busy schedule, preventing you from completing important tasks for the day. Rather than just "putting up with" your pain, talk to your Houston podiatrist for further diagnosis and treatment.
Walking and running abnormalities can cause inflammation of the ligaments, tendons, and plantar fascia that surround the hind foot. This is normally the cause of most heel pain in adults today. Complaints of heel pain most commonly occur in adults over the age of 40 and extremely active adolescents 8 to 13 years old. There are many treatments available for heel pain today ranging from rest and ice compresses to surgery in some extreme cases.
From plantar fasciitis/heel pain to tarsal tunnel syndrome, your pain can result from anything. By visiting your podiatrist in Houston, you can receive proper diagnosis and treatment. Remain standing with proper care for your foot pain.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Commonly referred to as heel and arch pain, plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue, called the plantar fascia, which stretches from the base of the toes, across the arch of the foot, to the point at which it inserts into the heel bone. Over-pronation is the most common cause of plantar fasciitis. As the foot rolls inward excessively when walking, it flattens your foot, lengthens the arch, and puts added tension on the plantar fascia. Over time, this repetition causes inflammation of your heel and arch.
Flat feet, high arches, poor fitting footwear, weight gain and running can all contribute the plantar fasciitis, and this condition is especially common among athletes who run and jump frequently. Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include a shooting pain in the heel, with pain being worse in the morning or after long periods of resting. Pain generally decreases during the course of the day as the foot becomes more limber, but returns once activities are completed.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome - What is it?
The tarsal tunnel is a narrow space that lies on the inside of the ankle next to the ankle bones, and is covered with a thick ligament that protects and maintains the structures contained within the tunnel - arteries, veins, tendons, and nerves. Once of these structures is the posterior tibial nerve, which is the focus of tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is compression, or squeezing, on the posterior tibial nerve that produces symptoms anywhere along the path of the nerve running from the inside of the ankle into the foot. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome as it arises from the compression of a nerve in a confined space. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is caused by anthing that produces compression on the posterior tibial nerve, such as:
*A person with flat feet
*An enlarged or abnormal structure that occupies space within the tunnel
*An injury, such as an ankle sprain
*Systemic diseases such as diabetes or arthritis
Symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome include:
*Tingling, burning, or a sensation similar to an electrical shock
*Numbness
*Pain, including shooting pain
These symptoms can typically be felt on the inside of the ankle and/or on the bottom of the foot. In some people, a symptom may be isolated and occur in just one spot. In others, it may extend to the heel, arch, toes, and even the calf.
Talk to your podiatrist in Houston for more information on how you can find relief for your foot pain, whether it is plantar fasciitis or tarsal tunnel syndrome. Don't let pain interrupt your day. Talk to your podiatrist in Houston immediately.
