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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, March 19, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, March 19, 2010
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Sports Medicine |
Heel spur02/07/2000 |
I belive I have a heel spur. My doctor never x-rayed my foot for absolute proof, but my sister and father have both had the same problem. My doctor gave me a shot of cotizone and that helped for about 4 months, but its bothering me again. I play volleyball at least 2 days a week and I know this is irritating it, but I don`t want to stop playing. Is it bad to keep getting the shots of cortizone? My doctor said I may need 3 to 4 shots. When he gave me the first shot, he didn`t put it directly in the sore spot and just said that wasn`t the way to do it, why is that? My father had his shot directly in the sore spot. I was just trying to get some good information before I call for shot #2. I`d appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks!
In the past few years we have realized that the presence of heel spurs is really inconsequential. The majority of pain of the bottom of the heel comes from a structure called the "Plantar fascia" which connects the heel to the toes and acts like a spring ligament to give your arch some spring. Sometimes, for no special reason, the attachment of the ligament at the heel becomes inflammed and causes significant pain and is called plantar fasciitis. There is one third of the population who have heel spurs and no symptoms, so treatment now is directed at reducing the inflammation and at the spur. This is done with cortisone injections in the area of the pain, orthotics to support the ligament or plantar fascia and sometimes physical therapy, usually ultrasound. The proper amount of cortisone is a tricky problem. Three shots of low dose cortisone would be about the same amount of cortisone as one or two large doses. If too much cortisone is administered, there is a chance the plantar fascia could rupture, but the result of the rupture is the same as the surgical procedure to cure plantar fasciitis if all the conservative measures fail.
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Rodney L. Tomczak, DPM, EdD Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics Department of Orthopaedics College of Medicine The Ohio State University |
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