On February 4th, it was reported that San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White has plantar fasciitis in his foot. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News made the announcement.
It is unclear when White started having symptoms. It was reported that he had an MRI, which revealed a left plantar fascia tear.
Plantar fasciitis is point tenderness over the posteromedial area of the sole of the foot. It is a change in the attachment point of a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. This change is not inflammation or injury. It tends to arise in healthy people in all walks of life between ages 35 and 65. It hurts for about a year on average and then disappears without a trace. Plantar fasciitis is also known as jogger’s heel or tennis heel. These titles serve to falsely label plantar fasciitis as activity related. There is no evidence that plantar fasciitis is related to activity or exposure. There is no need to limit activities when you have plantar fasciitis, but the pain may limit a player’s effectiveness.
A plantar fascia tear is both inflammation and a partial tear of the fascia. The pain experienced from a tear is often similar to the pain experienced by individuals with plantar fasciitis.
Derrick White has been out since the start of the Spurs’ rodeo road trip and it is unlikely that he will return before the All-Star break.
