A Pain in My Heel

I HAD been having pain in my left heel for more than three weeks, pain that increased during the day the more I stood, so I decided to visit an orthopedic doctor this week to find out what was wrong.

The doctor looked at my ankle and heel, and then announced I needed to have sonography of my heel and a blood test to make sure that I didn't have elevated levels of uric acid which can affect your joints.

The sonography was done with one of those machines they use on pregnant women to check on their fetuses. A wand-like attachment to the machine was pressed along both ankles, the machine recording what it was "seeing" in my tissue. Both ankles had to be scanned in order to compare and contrast, and see if one was different from the other.

It was. My left heel had slight inflammation on my tendon, indicating that I had "Plantar fasciitis," or an inflammation of the plantar fascia. "Plantar" means the bottom of the foot, "fascia" is a type of connective tissue, and "itis" means "inflammation".

My blood test revealed slightly high levels of uric acid (thanks to all of the meat I eat), but within acceptable guidelines.

The best treatment for this ailment are ice packs applied to the affected area; anti-inflammatory drugs; exercises of the affected foot by rolling it over a soup can or rolling pin placed on the floor, and heel pads for your shoes to provide extra cushioning to your affected heel.

I bought some heel cushions from a local pharmacy and my heel is already feeling better. I need to see my doctor again next week for a checkup. Hopefully I will heal well. Otherwise the treatment prescribed for acute cases are steroid injections into the affected area or even surgery, neither of which options are remotely appealing!Another good thing I found out is that there is a foot specialist doctor in Jeddah: His name is Dr. Khalid Edrees, and he can be found at Erfan Hospital.For excellent information on this condition, visit this website.