Heel Spurs Vs. Plantar Fasciitis

Any kind of heel pain isn't fun and have great, negative impacts on one's daily life. Walking, even standing or sitting with the feet on the ground can border on being unbearable. As with any kind of pain, you want to quickly find the cause and remedy it as soon as possible.

There are many causes of heel pain. Two of the most common causes of heel pain are heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. The pain with these two foot issues include pin-or knife-like sharp pain in the morning that dissipates into a dull, nagging pain for the rest of the day.

Heel Spurs

While not all heel spurs are painful, sometimes the pain can be confused with that of plantar fasciitis. These and the straining of the plantar fascia can trigger each other, have similar pain and causes, risk factors and treatments.

Heel spurs are the result of calcium deposits that form on the underside of the heel bone. This calcium deposit usually occurs over the course of many months. Strains of the foot muscles and ligaments and the repetitive tearing of the heel bone membrane can lead to the build up of character. These bone spurs are often clearly visible on an x-ray.

Athletes are vulnerable to getting heel spurs, especially those who do a lot of jumping and running. Poorly fitting shoes, excessive weight, an abnormal gait, having flat feet, diabetes and spending many hours a day on one's feet are other things that will increase the risk of this form of foot issue.