Recognizing plantar fasciitis in heel pain

  Heel pain belongs to one of the most common and frequent clinical diseases. Pain occurs on one or both sides of the heel, without redness or swelling, and walking is not easy, also known as heel pain. It is a disease caused by lesions in the bones, joints, bursae and fascia of the heel. The common one is metatarsal fasciitis, which often occurs in permanent or walking workers and is caused by long-term, chronic minor injuries, manifesting as a fracture and repair process of the metatarsal fascia fibers, osteophytes and pressure pain at the medial fascial appendage below the heel bone. Lateral x-rays show a heel bone spur. However, heel pain is not necessarily associated with bone spurs, and plantar fasciitis is not necessarily associated with bone spurs.  Reason: The plantar fascia starts from the medial aspect of the heel base, connects to the distal phalanx and splits into five bundles, these fibers are closely connected to the surrounding dermis, transverse metatarsal ligaments and flexor tendons at the same time. In the first metatarsophalangeal joint in particular, dorsiflexion enhances the tension of the plantar fascia and the longitudinal arch structure of the foot, but it is inherently inelastic and can only be lengthened by about 4%. This is also referred to by many as “plantar fascia degeneration”.  Tension in the Achilles tendon or gastrocnemius muscle, resulting in a reduction in the angle of flexion of the ankle joint, is also associated with the development of plantar fasciitis. Obesity, excessive weight bearing, and other independent risk factors include age, inappropriate shoes and insoles, overtraining, and decreased mobility of the subtalar joint. In particular, high arches and flat feet are a major cause of plantar fasciitis.  Clinical manifestations: Patients often feel initial pain, i.e., more pronounced in the morning or after taking the first step after a long rest, and the pain is relieved after walking a few steps, but increases with walking time or standing time.  Physical examination: the pain is mostly around the heel tuberosity and localized pressure is evident, with tenderness along the fascia, more pronounced when the plantar fascia is tense, for example, in dorsiflexion of the ankle joint.  Diagnosis: A weight-bearing foot x-ray is necessary to detect spurs and calcifications, but autopsy shows that the spurs are concentrated at the onset of the toe flexors rather than in the plantar fascia, which is generally considered painful.  Treatment: In all cases, conservative treatment, rest and functional therapy, self-stretching exercises, heel pads, orthotic shoes, ice, NSAID, and weight loss should be the primary treatment. Custom orthotic shoes and insoles help to reduce the dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and help to reduce the maximum tension of the plantar fascia. at 8 weeks the effect of plantar fascia stretching is better compared to the effect of Achilles tendon stretching.  Surgical treatment: limited to fasciotomy rather than removal of bone spurs. Endoscopy has gained increasing attention in the last few decades due to its short recovery time, with an efficiency of up to 76%. Gastrocnemius release can be used in patients with gastrocnemius atrophy, with pain relief in 81% of patients.