Plantar fasciitis is a foot problem that is causing Jared Sullinger, Ohio State’s sophomore phenom, to miss some games.  They are trying to treat his plantar fasciitis because it is leading to some back spasms.  Everything is linked, so walking funny because of the plantar fasciitis is making your body compensate in other areas, obviously causing pain in some of those areas.  Athletes get plantar fasciitis all the time, so if you have it and you are trying to improve your speed, you better know how to treat it.

What do you really know about plantar fasciitis or how to treat plantar fasciitis?  Lucky for you, I had an expert write an article for one of my newsletters way back when.  Dr. Scott Gurwin, D.P.M., FACFAS has a private practice in two locations in Columbus at 426A Beecher Road, Gahanna, and 1950 Tamarack Road, Newark.  He has been a friend of mine for awhile and one hell of a podiatrist.  If you are in town, check him out.

Anyways, I had him write an article for me, so I’m going to reprint it here.  I’m going to interject his article a couple times with a couple real-life examples to illustrate his point.  So here is his article, enjoy:

Heel pain is a common foot problem that can affect people of all ages and activity levels.  It is one of the most common conditions treated by podiatrists who are trained to correctly diagnose and treat this ailment.  Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers also commonly treat this condition.  There are several causes of heel pain, with plantar fasciitis being the most common.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue running from the heel to the ball of the foot.  The pain associated with plantar fasciitis is characterized by discomfor with the first few steps in the morning as well as the initial steps following periods of sitting.  The plantar fascia is usually injured with stress over time from poor foot function.  Having a tight heel cord or Achilles tendon, an increased body mass index, and spending the majority of the workday standing are all risk factors for developing this problem.  The stress on the plantar fascia eventually causes inflammation to develop in the heel.  The condition may be associated with a heel spur at the site where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone.  The heel pain is not from the spur, but related to the inflammatory process around the fascia.

[Adam here – One of my clients had bone spurs that caused her plantar fasciitis.  Once it was diagnosed, she had the surgery to get rid of the bone spur, and SHAZAM no more pain.]

Treatment of heel pain consists of both treating the symptoms as well as the cause of the problem. These treatments can include anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, and stretching exercises.  The exercises are aimed at stretching both the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia itself. [Adam again – I’ve recently been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and the stretching and icing I’ve done over the last few days has made a world of difference for me.  I will continue to do it and hope I eliminate it.]

A splint may also be worn at night that will hold the heel cord in a stretched position while sleeping. Orthotic devices provide for support and control of the plantar fascia during normal activity as well as exercise.

When these treatments fail, a walking boot or even a cast may be used to immobilize the foot to allow for inflammation to decrease. Over 90% of those with heel pain can be treated with such conservative therapy. In those who do not improve with these treatments, shock-wave therapy may be effective. This non-invasive therapy is usually performed in an operating room. No surgical incision is performed.  Rather, the heel is held to a machine while shockwaves are applied to the heel.  In a small number of severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary for pain relief.  Surgery consists of releasing the plantar fascia from its insertion into the heel bone.

The most important factor in treating heel pain is the correct diagnosis. A health care professional trained to evaluate problems of the foot should evaluate those with heel pain. With plantar fasciitis being the most common cause of heel pain, most will resolve their heel pain with conservative treatments.