Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that spans across the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel bone to your toes. The plantar fascia acts like a shock-absorbing band that supports the arch of the foot.
Overpronation is the most common cause of plantar fasciitis. As the foot rolls inward excessively when walking, it flattens the foot, lengthens the arch, and puts added tension on the plantar fascia. Over time, small tears occur where there is to much tension placed on the plantar fascia causing an inflammatory response and pain.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
Retrocalcaneal bursitis occurs when the bursa protecting the Achilles tendon from pressue of the heel bone becomes inflamed. This condition is common in athletes and It can be a secondary condition to Achilles tendonitis.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
Plantar calcaneal bursitis is inflammation of the bursa or fluid filled sac that protects your heel bone from the pressure of the ground.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
Peroneal tendonitis is a common cause of foot and ankle pain secondary to inflammation. This happens when there is an increased load and overuse of the tendons, leading to them rubbing on bone. This friction causes the tendons to swell. Over time, the tendons thicken in size to try and manage the increased load. Peroneal tendonitis is particularly common in athletes especially runners.
There are two peroneal tendons in each leg. They run side by side down the lower leg bone (fibula) and behind the bony lump on the outside of the ankle called the lateral malleolus.
The peroneus brevis is the shorter of the two tendons and it attaches to the base of the fifth metatarsal, while the peroneus longus starts laterally and turns to run along the bottom of the foot to attach to the base of the first metatarsal.
The peroneal tendons provide stability to the ankle when it is bearing weight and protects it from sprains. They also help turn the foot out and stabilize the arch when walking. The amount of stress placed on the peroneal tendons varies depending on what type of foot structure you have.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It connects your calf muscle to the back of your heel bone, allowing your foot to push off the floor when walking. When the tendon is over worked it becomes inflamed, this condition is called Achilles tendonitis.
The tendonitis can be found at the insertion site of the Achilles tendon on the heel bone or at any point along the tendon. Pain and swelling often occurs when the calf muscle contracts as you are pushing off of the ground. This condition if not treated early can progressively get worse and even lead to eventual rupture of the Achilles tendon.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
Sprains are injuries to ligaments in the foot and ankle. Ligaments are fibrous bands of connective tissue that joins the end of two bones together. Ligaments stabilize and support the joints in the foot and ankle. Ankle sprains are the most common type of sprain in the foot and ankle. Ankle sprains account for over 20% of visit to the emergency department in the United States.
Ankle sprains are caused by an unnatural twisting or force on the ankle bones of the foot, which may result in excessive stretching or tearing of one or more ligaments on the outside of the ankle. The severity of the sprain can impact the degree of damage as well as the type and duration of treatment. If not properly treated, ankle sprains may develop into long-term problems.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
Haglund’s deformity is also known as “pump bump” because it is prevalent among women who wear pump style shoes although it can also occur in men. A bony enlargement at the back of your heel is common. This bony prominence can lead to irritation and inflammation to the Achilles tendon. People often experience pain from shoe gear rubbing against the back of the heel.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
The tarsal tunnel is a narrow space where the posterior tibial nerve runs along the medial side of the ankle. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a painful foot condition in which the posterior tibial nerve is compressed. This condition is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms
Over 10% of all fractures occur in the foot and ankle. There are 26 bones in the foot, all of which are at risk of fracture if trauma occurs.The most common sites for fractures in the foot are the metatarsal bones. A fracture is a break in the bone and can be either partial or complete. The severity of the fracture depends on the type and location of the break. Patients often times can confuse fractures for sprains.
Causes
Signs & Symptoms