Heel Spur - Plantar Fasciitis

Heel spur (plantar fasciitis) affects men and women equally. It is a condition in which the bottom of the heel is extremely painful.

Causes:
A heel spur is a bony overgrowth on the bottom of your heel bone. The heel spur is usually a result of an inflamed ligament (plantar fascia) on the bottom of the foot that attaches to the heel bone. Constant abnormal pulling of this ligament irritates the heel bone and the body lays down a bone spur as a protective mechanism. The patient usually complains of pain with the first step in the morning, some relief following activity, but returning after extended amounts of time standing or walking.

This condition is often onset by one or several of the following causes; being overweight, improperly fitting shoes, bio-mechanical problems (mal-alignment of the heel), gout, pronation (a complex motion including outward rotation of the heel and inward rotation of the ankle) and rheumatoid arthritis. These things, individually or in combination, can cause heel pain.