Funky foot facts

  • By 12, a child’s foot is about 90 per cent of its adult length.
  • Cigarette smoking is the biggest cause of Peripheral Vascular Disease. PVD often leads to pain on walking, ulceration, infection and in severe cases - gangrene and possible amputation.
  • Foot disorders in the elderly are extremely common and are the cause of much pain and disability, and consequent loss of mobility and independence.
  • Around 40 per cent of Kiwis will experience some form of foot problems in their lifetime.
  • The first foot coverings were probably animal skins, which Stone Age peoples in northern Europe and Asia tied around their ankles in cold weather.
  • In a pair of feet there are 250,000 sweat glands that produces approximately 500ml of perspiration daily.
  • It’s rare that two feet are exactly the same; one of them is often larger than the other.
  • When walking, your heel lifts off the ground and it forces the toes to carry one half of your body weight.
  • A quarter of all the body’s bones are in the feet (There are 52 bones in a pair of feet).
  • The average child will take its first steps around 13-17 months - but 10-18 months falls within the “normal” range.
  • A quarter of all the body’s bones are in the feet. (There are 52 bones in a pair of feet).
  • The average person will walk around 128,000kms in a life time or 3 times around the earth.
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Heel Pain (Plantar fasciitis)

Heel pain is most commonly caused by plantar fasciitis/ fasciosis, a condition that is sometimes also called heel spur syndrome when a spur is present. Heel pain may also be due to other causes, such as a stress fracture, tendonitis, arthritis or nerve irritation. Because there are several potential causes, it is important to have heel pain properly diagnosed.

diagram of bones in the heel

The most common cause of heel or arch pain is caused by a painful stretching or micro-tearing of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a fibrous or tendon-like structure that courses along the bottom of the foot connecting the toes and heel bone.

During normal conditions, the fascia is flexible and strong. The fascia is partially responsible for the strength and flexibility of the arch and is required for normal walking. However due to factors such as abnormal stress, excessive weight, age, or improper foot support, the fascia can become weakened, irritated or inflamed. If the foot flattens excessively or becomes unstable at critical times during the gait cycle, the attachment of the plantar fascia onto the heel may begin to stretch and pull away from the calcaneus. This painful condition is called plantar fasciitis. After many years a heel spur may develop on the bottom of the calcaneus in addition to plantar fasciitis.

Heel spurs are visible on a lateral view x-ray of the foot. X-rays sometimes reveal very large heel spurs that do not produce pain. It is not the bone, but rather the inflammation of the fascia attaching to the heel which causes discomfort.

The onset can be gradual, yet many people report the pain during the first steps onto the floor in the morning for about ten minutes, or after extended resting periods during the day. You may experience plantar fasciitis after a sudden increase in activity, weight gain or a recent change in footwear.

Causes

  • One possible cause is abnormal or excessive internal motion (pronation) of the foot. It is thought that this causes the fascia to be overused at critical moments
  • During resting or non-weight bearing periods, the plantar fascia shortens. When body weight is rapidly applied to the foot the fascia must stretch and quickly lengthen, causing micro-tears in the fascia.
  • Hypermobility, (excessive internal motion) of the foot can induce future or coexisting problems involving the knee, hip, sacroiliac joint or the low back region.

The cause may also be over-training, poor footwear selection, enviromental (e.g. working on hard flooring).

Treatment for heel pain, if plantar fasciitis is diagnosed will usually involve a combination of the following, based on severity and your podiatrist qualified judgement.

Stretching Link

  • Exercise review
  • Anti inflammatory medication
  • Footwear review
  • Orthotic prescription link
  • Local cortisone injection
  • *Night splints
  • Below leg casting
  • Surgical opinion (rare)