Plantar fasciitis (Heel Spurs Treatment) is the most common cause of heel pain. Most of the treatments described in this document are not dangerous to implement and will help many cases of heel pain, regardless of the cause. From another web site: “The sciatic nerve ends in the heel and if the nerve is pinched in the lower back or sacroiliac area, often the pain (called referred pain) is felt in the heel.” Tight hamstrings may contribute to sciatic nerve problems. Most of the treatments for plantar fasciitis will not help sciatica. If arthritic back pain is present and pain is present in both feet, the problem could be a form of arthritis (see the nutritional supplement section). Many of the treatments for arthritis in the heel are the same as for plantar fasciitis. Heel pain can also be attributed to tendonitis (rest, ice, anti-inflammatories, and 200 mg a day vit B6); damage to the long plantar ligament (pain should be deeper and not sensitive to touch — should be treated identically to PF, but the PF release surgery may make it worse), and stress fracture (bone damage — more common in flat feet — needs rest, cast, and soft heel pad). Tarsal tunnel syndrome (the foot’s version of carpal tunnel syndrome): The tarsal tunnel is formed by ligament and bone through which tendons and nerves pass. It is located at the 7-o’clock position relative to the inside ankle bone (beneath and slightly behind the inside ankle bone) – halfway between the inside ankle bone and the bottom of the back of the heel. Pain results in this area and/or in the bottom and/or heel area of the foot when there’s inflammation in the tendons. The inflammation places pressure on the nerves that are trapped in the tunnel. The heel and bottom of the foot can be affected because the trapped nerves provide sensation to these areas. The pain may be a dull type in the tunnel area or a numbing and/or tingling sensation in the bottom or heel of the foot. Tapping the tarsal tunnel may produce tingling on the bottom of the foot – this is called Tinel’s sign. But tapping too hard will produce a tingling in anybody. Diagnosis is often not easy. 200 mg/day of B6 will reduce synovial fluid build up in the tunnel. It is often caused by ignoring the pain and walking too much. I’ve met several people with this condition, and they all seemed to have a kind of hyper personality that caused them to walk too much, too quickly and in an obsessive way while ignoring the pain. According to some, surgery usually fails to help. Hyperpronation may cause it.