Can Plantar Fasciitis be caused by Gout?
Plantar fasciitis or “heel pain” as they call it, is a foot condition caused by inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis and usually a common cause of heel pain but may be caused by gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain and unfortunately can prevent you from playing your favorite sports and even taking a walk. If the pain becomes chronic, it can severely reduce your quality of life. Typically, plantar fasciitis is caused by running too much or overuse of your feet from sports activities. Having flat feet or high arches may also make you more prone to suffering from this condition. Wearing uncomfortable footwear can also cause inflammation in the plantar fascia. Actually, wearing uncomfortable shoes is the most common cause of foot pain in general!
The plantar fascia has a number of roles, which include holding parts of your foot together, protecting the plantar surface of your foot from trauma and helping to support your foot’s longitudinal arch. Usually, with either gout or rheumatoid arthritis there will be what we call edema enlargement adjacent to the plantar fascia which is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in your body’s tissues, making every step you take quite painful. Gout sufferers can even feel pain when no pressure is placed on the foot! Think of plantar fasciitis as another gout complication that can occur over time if your gout is not properly treated.
“Heel gout” as some call it could occur in any heel even in both simultaneously which sometimes can make diagnosing gout correctly very difficult. Your doctor will know if it’s gout by either seeing needle-shaped crystals under the microscope or by removing synovial fluid out from the affected joint in order to examine the presence of gout crystals. It’s also important to note that you can also get fever or the chills with plantar fasciitis.
So what can you do?
Make sure to always wear well fitted shoes and don’t be afraid to splurge a little on good quality shoes. My $200 Nikes have been with me for the longest time and I still love to wear them even after 10 years cause they are so darn comfortable to walk on for long periods of time. My wife hates them cause they are an old pair of shoes but the shoes are almost like new and still feel so new. Do your research before and find yourself a great pair of running shoes and wear them when you know you’ll be walking for a long period of time or doing a sporting activity that you enjoy. Another good idea is to change shoes often, don’t let your feet get used to any pair of shoe. I wear a different pair of shoes almost every day.
If you have foot problems, do consider getting a custom shoe insole to help with plantar fasciitis. Important to work the muscles of your feet, did you know that your foot has more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments? Work them out by rotating your foot in a circle or move your toes up and down feeling the muscles stretch. You don’t need any special equipment either. You can also massage your foot and make sure to check the video below: