Up to 2 million Americans describe symptoms of heel pain every year, accounting for an estimate of up to $400 million in medical bills. Regardless, not much is known about the pathophysiology and etiology of plantar heel pain. By emphasizing on the causes of plantar fasciitis as well as discussing other common mechanical issues behind heel pain, including plantar fascia tears/rupture, heel pain of neural origin, calcaneal stress fractures and atrophy of the heel pad, individuals can learn to understand the diagnostic criteria and possible treatment options of plantar heel pain.
The plantar fascia is a fibrous aponeurosis which extends from the calcaneal tuberosity in the heel, to the proximal phalanges in the toe. Plantar fasciitis most commonly occurs as a result of mechanical overload due to either bio-mechanical faults, obesity and work habits.
The plantar fascia functions to support the medial longitudinal arch, acting as a shock absorber, through both passive tensioning of the plantar fascia, known as the Windlass mechanism, and through the active tension of the plantar intrinsic foot muscles, including the flexor hallicus brevis, the adductor hallicus and the plantar interossei, as well as the tibialis posterior. It has been suggested that intrinsic foot muscle weakness can lead to increased loads on the plantar fascia. Because testing the strength of these muscles can be very difficult, researchers have utilized volume estimates of the intrinsic foot muscles and the tibialis posterior muscles to identify whether there’s a distinction in volume between these muscles in people with plantar heel pain. There was no particular difference in the volume of the tibialis posterior and there was only a 5 percent variation in the forefoot volume of the intrinsic foot muscles in comparison with the asymptomatic foot.
Plantar heel pain is frequently diagnosed by healthcare professionals, including chiropractors and sports clinicians, as a result of mechanical, neurologic, traumatic or other complications. Plantar fasciitis is the most common pathology in sports. However, other causes of heel pain may be considered when evaluating an athlete with heel pain. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.Â
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The information herein on "Chiropractic and Plantar Heel Pain in Athletes" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
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Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
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We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
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Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182
Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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