Bone Spur causing Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis?

by Pattie



Could I have Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis?

I have been suffering from pain that is on the back of my heel on the inside.

I was told it was retro bursitis.

I got xray and it showed a small bone spur but no AT or PF.

I have been doing Physical Therapy and stretching it for Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis and it is not getting better.

PT has something called ionic's with cortisone that stopped and now I am just getting Ultrasound and massage.

They are all at a loss. I need to know what this is.



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Joshua Answers:

Hi Pattie.

It's totally possible to have retro bursitis without any Plantar Fasciitis or Achilles Tendonitis.

Also, X-Rays really aren't going to show PF or AT.

Bursitis can be VERY painful, whether it's Shoulder Bursitis or Retro Bursitis (calcaneal bursa inflammation and pain).

Maybe the bursa got irritated and inflammed because the calves and lower leg structures are too tight and they put too much pressure on the Achilles tendon which put too much pressure on the bursa.

Maybe that bone spur is digging into it and irritating it.

Maybe both.

The first step is to reduce inflammation -and- take that tension of the tendon.

Ice dip as described on the How To Reduce Inflammation page.

Have that PT open up the myofascia of the calves and lower leg and relax the muscles, if they know how to.

The bone spur may or may not be an issue.



Questions:

1. Where -exactly- is that bone spur? And how big is it?

2. How long has this pain been going on?

3. Did it start out bad, or creep up on you?

4. History of other pain/injury?

5. Overall health?

6. What have you done that helps, what makes worse?







Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com
















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Comments for Bone Spur causing Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis?

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Oct 11, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 2 - Bone Spur causing Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis?
by: Pattie

This came on slow and it has been going on for about 2 months. The spur is very small the dr. said. I am in very good health was running about 16 to 20 miles a week before this came on. The pain is on the back of the heel more on one side (the inside of the foot) PT said it is so small maybe smaller than a pea.

I don't know exactly where the bone spur is. All I know is that it is on the back of my heel. What makes it worse when I start running and when I first get out of bed. What helps massage the bottom of foot and calf like in the middle of the calf. Stretching for AT and stretching calf does not make it feel better I believe.

I hope I answered all your questions.

Thank you.



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Joshua Comments:

Hi Pattie. Thanks for those answers.

Well, it's a bummer I'm a month away or so from having 'The Achilles Tendonitis Treatment That Works' out.....

You're a runner. That's good info. Ok, so.

So it's likely that bone spur is showing up in response to pressures placed on it by your structure.

Said another way, bone spurs don't just show up out of the blue. The body forms itself according to the stresses placed upon in.

Maybe you've got a funky foot or an exception and it's just happening.

Probably there's something going on with your stride, your heel strike, a not toned enough peroneus brevis (supports the arch) and a too tight Achilles/Calves/Soleus set up.

Such that every step you take running, that bone spur location gets yanked on or hammered on, and the bone is forming to make itself tougher.

I can't do anything directly for the bone spur. You'll want to see a VERY GOOD sports podiatrist kind of guy. Something about shoe, insert, stride, how you run, etc.

The good news is, bone spurs themselves don't necessarily equal you having to have pain. I suspect that if you get rid of the factors that are causing it, the pain will go away and you'll be able to run again. This will be tricky and take some trial and error and the RIGHT sports podiatrist kind of guy.

I can help you with lowering your pain levels and making things healthier.

Interested in that?
Oct 12, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 3 - Pain - Bone Spur causing Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis?
by: Pattie

Are you talking about getting rid of my pain. You bet I am interested. This morning I wake up with what feels like my AT being tight. I stretch and it don't like that. So I will ice it. But if I were to take a warm bath with salt it feels so much more better. So what does that tell you?


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Joshua Comments:

Ughh. Sorry Pattie, I lost track of you. I'm back if you're still around. Sorry.

When you say take a bath with salt, do you mean epsom salts? And it feels better?

That tells me that you are Magnesium deficient.

Epsom salts have magnesium in them, that's part of why an epsom salt bath is known to be 'relaxing'. Magnesium relaxes muscles.

A muscle, like your calf muscles that control your Achilles Tendon, can be too tight and magnesium deficient, meaning it -can't- relax. This would make sense why it doesn't like to be stretched.


So, tell me where you're at now, how the AT is doing, please forgive me for the 3 month gap and leaving you hanging, and let's go from there.
Oct 12, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		PART 4 - I think I have found the problem! - Bone Spur causing Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis?
by: Pattie

I know this is another person's ad but I want you to see what I have been working on and it is making all of this go away!!! http://www.tptherapy.com/calf.php

I have been using a baseball to massage this area! Posterior tibialis and I have noticed that all of this discomfort is gone! The pain on the back of my heel and tightness in my AT. Is this the problem I have been dealing with for so long? What do I need to do to strengthen this area so this does not happen again and what do you think of chirunning?


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>b>Joshua Comments:

I like chirunning. Anything to make it easier and smoother on one's body, the better.

I don't think you need to strengthen the calves and such. They're already strong. Potentially you would want to do some foot/toe raises against resistance, to make the front side of the leg stronger in ratio to the back side.

Baseball, or that thing you mentioned, you bet. Any massage tool is great...if you use it!

Probably you don't need to strengthen. You need to A. relax tight muscles and B. stretch shrunk down connective tissue so the muscle can flow/move easily again.


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