Heel pain varies in severity. In most cases of plantar fasciitis, pain is more severe following periods of inactivity (e.g., in the morning), subsides with activity, and increases in severity with prolonged activity. This occurs because inactivity causes the muscles in the foot to tighten, increasing the strain on the plantar fascia and aggravating heel spurs, if they are present. The muscles stretch with mild activity and the heel pain subsides. Prolonged or strenuous activity increases inflammation and the severity of heel pain.
Other symptoms of plantar fasciitis include swelling, redness, and heat.
Physician-developed and -monitored.
Original Date of Publication: 01 Jan 2000
Reviewed by: J. Michael Lunsford, D.P.M., Stanley J. Swierzewski, III, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 21 Jun 2007
Heel Pain, Signs and Symptoms reprinted with permission from podiatrychannel.com
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