Heel pain: a major health problem
Written by:Causes of pain in the heel
Heel pain can be caused by possible causes, one of them is plantar fasciitis; But it is also common to find many patients who have compressions of the ankle nerves that cause very similar pains. According to specialists in Traumatology , these two pathologies comprise more than 90% of the cases of pain in the heel.
Factors of pain in the heel
There are two types of factors: social health and excess weight.
• Socio-sanitary: It affects people with professions that require long standing periods.
• Excess weight: Obesity influences since the feet are not prepared to support so much weight.
In addition also it is possible to emphasize diseases like diabetes, that favor the appearance of talalgias of neurological type; And excessive sports practice.
Another factor that can cause heel pain has to do with the morphology of the foot. The bad shape and position of the foot favors the increase of tension in the area of the heel generating the pathology.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a ligamentous structure that occupies the sole of the foot, from the heel to the toes. It stretches and shrinks at every step. The most fragile point of the phase is its insertion in the calcaneus (main bone of the heel).
When an overload occurs this structure becomes inflamed, which results in an increase in the thickness of the area. The patient will feel a pain in the morning, with the first steps, very annoying and that reproduces after each period of rest.
If not treated properly causes a serious alteration of the gait and may end up conditioning other elements of the area such as the nerves of the tarsal canal or the bones of the back of the foot.
Treatment for heel pain
Start by making a good diagnosis, which is not always usual. The specialists must practice an ultrasound to all the patients afflicted of this pathology, and in just less than five minutes already can have a certain diagnosis.
From here the treatment is prescribed according to the evolution. In the early stages, it is treated with an anti-inflammatory medication associated with active physiotherapy based on stretching, which can give great results. From the two months will be necessary to use the infiltrations ecoguiadas, the use of orthopedic insoles that must do a specialized podologist without forgetting the stretches. As the evolution progresses, the "shock waves" are used, which must be practiced by a physiotherapist in the rehabilitation service. Infiltrations of growth factors can help in very serious cases.
The specialists in Traumatology try to treat these pathologies without surgery, but it is obvious that from a certain moment this can become the only solution. For plantar fasciitis during the last 10 years have been obtained very good results with endoscopic surgery, through an optic is disinserted the plantar fascia getting its cure. In those cases where the nerves of the tarsal canal are oppressed, they must be released.
