Educational Articles: Heel

The Achilles tendon is a strong cord made of fibrous connective tissue that attaches the calf muscle group to the calcaneus, or heel bone. The Achilles tendon is located at the lower end of the calf, and it is the continuation of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. This tendon is one of the strongest tendons in the body and is essential for performing many occupational and recreational activities, especially athletic... Read more

Athlete’s foot, also known as tinea pedis, is a fungal infection of the feet. In most cases, the fungal infection develops on the bottom of the foot and between the toes. Athlete’s foot is a common health problem that may last for a long time if the proper care and attention is not applied. This condition can be difficult to treat and may recur following treatment. It's commonly believed that... Read more

Foot blisters are a problem that most people experience at some point during their lives. Blisters are usually caused by friction from shoes or socks rubbing repeatedly against the skin, causing friction burns. Friction blisters occur when the outer layer of skin separates from the inner layer of skin and the space between these layers fills with lymph fluid. Friction blisters can cause significant pain or discomfort and may impair... Read more

Bursae are situated in various locations throughout the body where friction between tissues commonly occurs. These sacs are designed to help reduce friction and prevent pain. Repetitive movements or prolonged and excessive pressure are the most common causes of bursal inflammation, though traumatic injury may also cause this painful problem. In fact, the body sometimes creates bursal sacs in response to trauma or tissue damage. Infracalcaneal bursitis (inflammation of the... Read more

Outer foot pain is a symptom that may occur in runners, especially runners who record high weekly mileage or who use conventional athletic footwear. Numerous factors may contribute to outer foot pain in runners, including running shoes that contain injurious design features, excessive training (i.e., overtraining), an insufficient warm-up, and poor nutrition. Outer foot pain, while potentially debilitating for runners, typically responds to natural, noninvasive, and conservative therapies, such as... Read more

Thick, hard skin can occur on any part of the foot. However, corns and calluses are particularly common on the toes, and they are caused by prolonged pressure or friction on the skin. Though not life-threatening, corns and calluses are often unsightly and may cause pain or disability when the skin buildup gets too thick or causes pressure on sensitive parts of the foot. A corn is thickened skin on... Read more

One of the lesser known and discussed benefits of Correct Toes toe spacers is their ability to boost foot and toe circulation. Many Correct Toes users have reported this great benefit, but until now we haven’t actually been able to see this effect or quantify it. Thanks to a Correct Toes user (Sergio, from Spain) and the wonders of infrared (IR) imaging, we can now see the magnitude of Correct... Read more

Your feet are one of the most important parts of your body. They accept and disperse tremendous forces during standing, walking, and running (e.g., walking 1 mile places 60 tons of stress on each foot), and they possess extraordinary strength, integrity, and endurance. Although your feet are resilient and capable of bearing considerable forces, too much stress can cause pain or discomfort—especially if your foot is held in a deformed... Read more

Severe pain, swelling, bruising, and an inability to bear weight are symptoms that could indicate a serious foot problem. Damage to your foot's muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones, along with foot and toe deformities, may be caused by trauma, overuse, or improper footwear. Though certain medical conditions can contribute to foot pain, shoes that prevent the foot from functioning the way nature intended are a frequent cause of foot problems.... Read more

Can applying heat to the plantar fascia (in combination with proper footwear and Correct Toes), facilitate healing of plantar fasciosis? And since plantar fasciosis is due to insufficient bloodflow, does this mean that icing the plantar fascia should be avoided? Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, tackles these questions in this short yet informative video. Learn more about hot... Read more

Heel elevation is a design element present in almost every shoe, from dress shoes to work boots to running shoes, though there is little (if any) compelling evidence to account for its inclusion in shoes or other footwear. Most people in the United States and other parts of the world begin wearing shoes when they learn to walk, some even before. Almost all shoes, including children’s shoes, possess heel elevation,... Read more

Plantar fasciosis is a common cause of heel pain, but another problem that can cause heel pain is bursitis, specifically, infracalcaneal bursitis—irritation of the fluid-filled sac that sits directly under the heel bone. With heel bursitis, pain tends to increase with weight-bearing activity, as opposed to plantar fasciosis, a condition in which pain usually is greatest upon waking in the morning. In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist... Read more

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, answers the following question: What tape or blister treatments do you recommend for preventing blisters on long runs? Dr. Ray notes that one of the key strategies for preventing blisters on long runs is to adopt footwear that's shaped like the natural human foot. Other helpful natural approaches include using... Read more

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem, but is this condition properly named? In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, reviews the underlying cause of this painful foot problem (improper toe alignment) and puts forth an argument in favor of renaming the condition plantar fasciosis, due to the tissue degeneration (not inflammation) observed in the plantar fascia... Read more

Plantar fasciosis is a foot condition characterized by heel pain and pain in the plantar fascia—the strong and dense connective tissue structure on the sole of the foot that spans the foot arch. This condition has historically been called plantar fasciitis because it was believed that plantar fascia inflammation was the principal underlying cause. Plantar fasciosis is a more accurate name for this condition because it actually involves tissue degeneration... Read more

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses the condition commonly referred to as plantar fasciitis and explains why this foot health problem should more appropriately be called plantar fasciosis. Dr. Ray also discusses how this condition is treated using conventional versus natural approaches. Learn all about plantar fasciosis, including what you can do about it, in this helpful and... Read more

A study by Harvey Lemont, DPM, published in the May 2003 edition of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association suggests that the term “plantar fasciosis” may be more appropriate than the commonly used “plantar fasciitis,” as biopsies reveal necrotic, or dead, tissue in the plantar fascia of people with this condition, not inflammation. Lemont concluded that plantar fasciitis is a degenerative process, not an inflammatory process, involving small... Read more

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, demonstrates a plantar taping technique to address bottom-of-foot pain or discomfort. Dr. Ray walks you through all the necessary steps required to wrap your own foot. Plantar taping is a simple, conservative, and effective way to relieve arch and heel pain. Learn how to perform this helpful technique in this... Read more

Plantar warts, also called verruca plantaris, are a buildup of skin on the bottom of the feet. Plantar warts are benign skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. This virus enters the body through small cuts or breaks in the skin of the feet. The buildup of thick, irregular skin on the bottom of the feet that characterizes plantar warts is sometimes confused with calluses, due to their... Read more

Sever’s disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis, is a common heel problem affecting children. This heel bone disorder is often painful, though it’s usually temporary and causes no long-term health effects. With Sever’s disease, the Achilles tendon repeatedly pulls on the heel’s growth plate, causing microtrauma (i.e. microfractures), inflammation, and swelling in the affected area. Sever’s disease is similar to Osgood-Schlatter disease, which affects the knee. Inappropriate footwear may be... Read more

Tarsal bones are the short bones located in the midfoot and rearfoot that form a bridge between the ankle and the metatarsal bones. The tarsal tunnel is a space located just below the bony prominence on the inside of the ankle, or medial malleolus, and is made up of bone on the inside and the flexor retinaculum—a band of connective tissue—on the outside. Several important structures pass through the tarsal... Read more

Tendinitis occurs when tendons—the fibrous connective tissue structures that connect muscles to bones—become irritated and inflamed. Inflammation is the localized response by the body to injury or damage caused by chemical, physical, or biological agents. Most tendinitis treated by foot care professionals is caused by overuse, usually from repetitive work tasks or recreational sports. Foot and lower extremity tendinitis can significantly affect a person’s ability to perform his or her... Read more

Keeping your feet dry is important in preventing blisters, warts, and fungal skin and nail problems. Consider incorporating the following tips into your daily routine to keep your feet dry and your foot health hygiene optimized: Remove the liners from your shoes; place your shoes next to a heat source to encourage complete drying; dry your feet thoroughly after bathing and/or swimming, especially between your toes; wear Cool-Max or wool... Read more

Several factors may cause or contribute to foot and toenail fungus, including conventional footwear, decreased immune function and circulation, and trauma. Fungal toenail infections, also called onychomycosis, are common in adults and typically follow fungal infections of the feet. Fungal foot and nail infections can be difficult to treat and may recur even after successful treatment. Here are some additional details about the three factors mentioned above that may cause... Read more