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Peyton's Latest Woe: A Pain In The Foot

By Dave Hnida

(CBS4) - When he first came to the Broncos, we worried about his neck. Then we learned he was wearing a glove since he didn't have all of the feeling in his fingers. He then suffered a high ankle sprain, which really slowed him down. Then he played through a strained quad late last season. Last week he was reported to have an injured shoulder. What's next for us fans to freak over?

How about a foot?

The Broncos have Peyton Manning on this week's injury list because of a foot injury. What kind of injury? CBS4's Vic Lombardi reports it's a case of plantar fasciitis -- a fancy medical term for inflammation of the bottom of the foot.

Here's what that means:

Plantar: Sole of the foot

Fascia: A thick band of tissue that supports the muscles and bones on the bottom of the foot

"-itis": Inflammation

So plantar fasciitis means inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs from the heel to the base of the toes. And it can hurt. But what causes it? A million things can - it's a common condition. In fact many people call it a heel spur, when they really don't have anything wrong with the bones.

Runners, basketball players; in fact anyone who runs a lot on a hard surface, pushes off, or pivots can get it. Look at Corey Dickerson, who plays for the Rockies, and is only 26 years old -- he missed 2/3 of the 2015 season because he made his plantar fascia angry running out a play from the batter's box.

Head coach Gary Kubiak says the foot has been sore for a couple of weeks. It may have been aggravated in last Sunday's game in Indy on the artificial turf. And Peyton says, "Hey, it's Week 10 -- we get aches and pains."

Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos throws a pass in the first quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Indianapolis. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

But is it "an ache and a pain?" Hard to say -- the Broncos haven't confirmed the diagnosis. Yet it sure doesn't sound more serious, like a mid foot Lisfranc sprain that can crush a season or shorten a career i.e. Champ Bailey.

Nonetheless, plantar fasciitis makes you feel like you're stepping on hot coals or rusty nails when you first get out of bed in the morning. And it can get really sore when you run, or push off the foot -- especially on a hard surface. So can pushing off or planting to throw a pass. Or pivoting to roll out of the pocket.

The treatments include rest (not a lot expected in this case); ice; stretching; more stretching; physical therapy; ultrasound; funky splints you wear at night that keep the foot in a stretched back position; orthotics and foot supports -- then sometimes injections of cortisone into the inflamed area if things really get sore. Surgery is rarely needed.

As for how well will this injury do, and how long it will take to heal … it's anyone's guess. It tends to be good on some days -- bad on others. And it typically takes weeks to months for it to totally heal, so don't be alarmed if we are talking about this Super Bowl week.

Now that's the optimistic doctor and Peyton Manning fan talking. He's had worse than this, and I'm sure he's got plans for that big game in February, sore foot or no sore foot. He may just have some hobbling days to get there.

Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida

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