Heel pain is very common; in fact, it is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems that health practitioners see.
Most commonly, the condition is plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis involves an excessive pulling on a cord on the bottom of the foot called the plantar fascia. This extra pulling can lead to inflammation and pain. Plantar fasciitis is typically straightforward to sort out through stretching, ice, shockwave therapy and orthotics.
However, some heel problems just don’t settle down. These can be very painful and resistant to all of the above treatments. In these recalcitrant cases it is important to fully assess the region to ensure it actually is plantar fasciitis.
Baxter’s nerve entrapment – There is a rare condition known as Baxter’s nerve entrapment that is often missed by health practitioners who may not fully understand the various problems that can lead to heel pain.
There are two main nerves on the bottom of the foot and when one of these, the lateral plantar nerve, travels from the inside of the foot to the outside, one of its branches can become entrapped. It can produce marked pain that can mimic plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis or Baxter’s nerve entrapment? – One of the subtle differences between plantar fasciitis and Baxter’s nerve entrapment is the location of the pain. In plantar fasciitis the pain is nearly always on the bottom of the heel, while, with Baxter’s nerve entrapment, there is also pain on the inside of the heel, just in front of the heel bone. On the above picture you can see there is also inflammation and pain on the inside of the heel.
There are various treatments available for Baxter’s nerve entrapment which are different from those used to treat plantar fasciitis, so the patient must be assessed on the first visit to ensure a correct diagnosis.
At Sydney’s Bio Allied Health, our podiatrists are knowledgeable and experienced to assess the heel, identify what is truly causing the pain and put together a suitable treatment plan.
Read more articles about foot and ankle conditions