Avisail Garcia, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers, has been given permission by doctors to come back to baseball again.  This comes after enduring a major heel injury during a game last month against the St. Louis Cardinals. The MLB player placed all of his body weight onto his right heelshortly after trying to beat out a grounder during the game’s second inning.

After sustaining the injury, Garcia was benched for several weeks. "We'll take our time," Rand said. "Basically, at this point in time, hopefully we'll get him hitting and get him throwing and we'll have a better feel for that later."

Even though Garcia is not ‘presently complaining of heel pain,’ he will be under the watchful eye of athletic trainer coach Kevin Rand. An injury like Garcia can be managed and taken care of by a podiatrist like Dr. Nicholas Crismali of Crismali Foot & Ankle. Dr. Crismali can examine your heel pain, determine the severity of your injury, and work with you to provide the appropriate treatment options.

Causes of Heel Pain

â— Heel pain is often associated with plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a band of tissues that extends along the bottom of the foot. A rip or tear in this ligament can cause inflammation of the tissue.
â— Achilles tendonitis is another cause of heel pain. Inflammation of the Achilles tendon will cause pain from fractures and muscle tearing. Lack of flexibility is also another symptom.
â— Heel spurs are another cause of pain. When the tissues of the plantar fascia undergo a great deal of stress, it can lead to ligament separation from the heel bone, causing heel spurs.

Why Might Heel Pain Occur?

- Wearing ill-fitting shoes                 
- Wearing non-supportive shoes
- Weight change          
- Excessive running

Treatments

Heel pain should be treated as soon as possible for immediate results. Keeping your feet in a stress free environment will help.

With the advancements in technology and greater knowledge of how muscles and joints work, physical therapists can turn things around dramatically.    

If you have any questions, please contact our offices in Hesperia, CA. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.

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