The key difference between Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis is that Achilles tendonitis causes heel pain as a result of strain on the Achilles tendon, while plantar fasciitis causes heel pain as a result of irritation and inflammation in the plantar fascia.
Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis are the two common medical conditions that cause pain in the heel. Only physicians can accurately diagnose, differentiate, and treat them.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Achilles Tendonitis
3. What is Plantar Fasciitis
4. Similarities – Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis
5. Achilles Tendonitis vs Plantar Fasciitis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Achilles Tendonitis vs Plantar Fasciitis
What is Achilles Tendonitis?
Achilles tendonitis is a medical condition that causes heel pain as a result of strain on the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. This strain can occur due to a sudden increase in the intensity or duration of exercises. Other than that, as people get older, the Achilles tendon tends to become weaker. Therefore, Achilles tendonitis is also more common in older adults who play any type of sport. The heel pain that is associated with this condition can be very difficult to live with as the Achilles tendon plays a key role in movement and is used during walking.
Figure 01: Achilles Tendonitis
The symptoms of Achilles tendonitis include pain and stiffness along this tendon in the morning, pain in the back of the leg or above the heel, which gets worse during any activity, pain that increases after strenuous activity, and swelling that worsens throughout the day with physical activities. The risk factors for Achilles tendonitis include sex (males affected more), age (old age), physical problems (obesity), training choices, medical conditions (people who have psoriasis and high blood pressure affected more), and medications (antibiotics like fluoroquinolones).
Moreover, Achilles tendonitis can be diagnosed through physical examination, X-rays, ultrasound, and MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for Achilles tendonitis are medications (pain medications like ibuprofen or naproxen), physical therapy (exercises and orthotic devices), and surgeries to repair the Achilles tendon.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a medical condition that causes heel pain as a result of irritation and inflammation in the plantar fascia. Plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of each foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. Plantar fasciitis occurs due to repeated stretching and tearing, which inflames or irritates the plantar fascia. The symptoms of plantar fasciitis may include sharp pain in the bottom of the foot or heel in the morning that decreases throughout the day when one starts walking or stretching and pain in the foot or heel triggered by long periods of sitting or standing. Moreover, certain risk factors increase the risk of getting plantar fasciitis, such as age (ages 40 to 60), certain types of exercises, foot mechanics, obesity, and occupation that keep people on their feet.
Figure 02: Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, X-ray, and MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for plantar fasciitis include medications (pain medications like ibuprofen or naproxen), therapies (physical therapy, night splints, orthotics, walking boot, canes or crutches), surgical or other procedures like injections, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, ultrasonic tissue repair, and surgery.
What are the Similarities Between Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis?
- Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis are the two common medical conditions that cause heel pain.
- Both conditions may have similar symptoms, such as sharp pain in the heel.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examinations and imaging tests.
- They are treated through pain medications and specific surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis?
Achilles tendonitis is a medical condition that causes heel pain as a result of strain on the Achilles tendon, while plantar fasciitis is a medical condition that causes heel pain as a result of irritation and inflammation of the plantar fascia. Thus, this is the key difference between Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. Furthermore, Achilles tendonitis occurs due to a sudden increase in intensity or duration of exercises and old age. On the other hand, plantar fasciitis occurs due to repeated stretching and tearing, which lead to inflammation or irritation.
The following table summarizes the difference between Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.
Summary – Achilles Tendonitis vs Plantar Fasciitis
Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis are the two common medical conditions that cause heel pain. Both these conditions can affect the quality of life of people. Achilles tendonitis causes heel pain as a result of strain on the Achilles tendon. Plantar fasciitis is a medical condition that causes heel pain as a result of irritation and inflammation of the plantar fascia. So, this is the key difference between Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.
Reference:
1. “Achilles Tendinitis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 30 Sept. 2021.
2. Larson, Jennifer. “What to Know About Plantar Fasciitis.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 24 Feb. 2022.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Achilles tendonitis” By Injurymap – editInjuryMap – Free Human Anatomy Images and Pictures. Retrieved on 2019-08-10. (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Plantar Fasciitis Infographic” By Pain Pix (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr