What is the plantar fascia?
The plantar fascia is a type of connective tissue that acts like a bowstring that connects the forefoot (ball of foot) to the calcaneal bone of the heel. It aids other musculature on the underside of the foot to uphold the arch.
How Do I Know If I Have Plantar Fasciitis / Heel Spurs?
Common symptoms of plantar fasciitis / heel spurs include:
Difficulty with the first few steps out of bed in the morning.
Heel pain after sitting for awhile and then trying to walk.
Heel pain that increases the longer you are on your feet.
Constant heel pain.
Foot or heel pain lasting for weeks or months.
What is the difference between heel spurs and plantar fasciitis?
The terms plantar fasciitis and heel spurs are often used to describe the same heel pain syndrome. However, they are not really the same thing:
Plantar Fasciitis:
Plantar fasciitis is a painful irritation of tendon like structure (fascia) located under the foot at the place where it connects to the bottom of the heel. Heel pain is usually the hallmark of this condition. Chronic plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome will usually lead to the development of heel spurs.
Heel Spurs:
Heel spurs are little bony outgrowths from the underside of the heel bone that point forward towards the ball of the foot. Heel spurs can only be detected on x-rays. Heel spurs do not always cause pain. Approximately 30% of the adult population has heel spurs without any pain.
What causes plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome?
There are several causes of plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome. Poor footwear, sedentary lifestyles, obesity and sports injuries are the most common causes of chronic stress leading to heel pain. It is more common in women than men. People ages 40-60 are the most susceptible to developing plantar fasciitis. Many people with plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome experienced an unusually prolonged period of walking, running or standing followed by the onset of heel pain over the next few days.
How prevalent is plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome?
Heel pain is the most common complaint of patients evaluated by foot and ankle specialists. 80% of these visits are caused by plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome. The Physician & Sports Medicine Journal reports that 2 million Americans receive treatment for plantar fasciitis each year and that 10% of the population will be afflicted with this condition over a lifetime. Other estimates report that the number of people seeking help for plantar fasciitis may be as high as 3-7 million people. These figures don’t take into account how many more Americans have heel pain but have not sought treatment. The total number of people suffering from heel pain syndrome may be as high as 40 million.
How long does plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome last?
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the resolution time for plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome averages 6-18 months. Roughly half of the reported cases of heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis have had the condition for more than a year.
What are the risk factors for developing plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome?
Being overweight
More common in women
40 – 60 years old
Poor footwear
Sedentary lifestyle
Overuse
Sports injuries
Military service
Does Heel-Right™ work for children?
Plantar fasciitis / heel pain syndrome usually presents during adulthood and doesn’t normally affect children. Juvenile onset of heel pain syndrome is usually caused by trauma to the heel and is usually self-limiting. In other words, with a little rest the heel pain resolves on its own. Damage to sensitive growth plates in the bones of children can cause complications. Therefore, heel pain lasting beyond a few days up to a week should be evaluated by a qualified health care practitioner.
What Shoes Work the Best?
Heel-Right™ can be used in most shoes but it works best in lace up oxfords or athletic shoes, sandals or other open backed shoes. Avoid tight fitting shoes with high heels and/or poor arch support.
What size Heel-Right™ should I order?
Heel-Right™ comes in 2 sizes. Please refer to our size chart to determine the correct size for your foot.
Can I do anything at home to speed the recovery of my heel pain?
Avoid going barefoot.
Wear shoes that fit well and have a good arch support.
Ice your heel for 20 minutes in the evening. A frozen bag of corn or peas works very well. Mark the bag and reuse it as needed.
Roll a golf ball between your arch and the floor in the evening while you sitting in the evening to relax.
Stretch your calf muscle daily. An effective way to stretch the calf is to stand backwards with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step (like a diver standing backwards on the edge of a diving board). Stretch one leg at a time by shifting your weight to that side and allowing your foot to relax so that the heel drops below the stair edge.
*These and other measures recommended by doctors do not have the demonstrated effectiveness of Heel-Right™ (as shown by the 6-18 month recovery time reported by doctors), but your heel pain recovery time may be decreased when these measures are used in conjunction with Heel-Right™. |
