Help for Heel Pain

Did you know that every mile you walk puts 60 tons of stress on your feet?  Your feet can handle a heavy load, but too much stress can push them over their limits.  You may develop heel pain, the most common problem that affects the foot and ankle, when you pound your feet on hard surfaces by running, playing sports or just wearing shoes that irritate sensitive areas of your foot.  If you have a sore heel, it will usually get better on its own if you give it proper rest.  Do not ignore the early signs of heel pain and keep on doing activities that are causing it.  When you continue to use your sore heel, it will only get worse and could become a chronic condition which could lead to more problems.

 

Heel pain can have several causes.  If your heel starts to hurt, see your doctor right away to determine the reason and seek treatment.  You will need to tell the doctor where exactly you are having the pain and how long you have been experiencing it.  The doctor will examine your heel, looking for any signs of tenderness and swelling.  You may be asked to stand on one foot, walk, or do other physical tests that will help pinpoint the cause of your heel pain.

The conditions that cause heel pain usually fall into two categories:  pain beneath the heel and pain behind the heel.
If you have pain beneath the heel, your pain is centered under your heel and you may have one or more conditions that inflame the tissues on the bottom of your foot.  These could include:

• Stone bruise.  If you step on a hard object such as a rock or stone, you can bruise the fat pad on the underside of your heel.  You may not realize you have bruised your heel because it may not look discolored.  The pain will gradually go away with rest.



Dr. Jill's Gel Heel Cushions

• Plantar fasciitis.  If you do too much running or jumping, this can inflame the tissue band connecting the heel bone to the base of the toes.  The pain is centered under your heel and can be mild at first but flares up when you take your first steps in the morning after resting overnight.  You may need to do special exercises, take medication for the swelling and wear a heel pad in your shoe.
• Heel spur.  When plantar fasciitis continues for a long time without treatment, a heel spur (calcium deposit) may form where the tissue band connects to the heel bone.  The doctor may take an x-ray to see the bony protrusion.  Heel spurs can vary in size.  Treatment is usually the same as plantar fasciitis:  rest till your pain goes away, do special stretching exercises and wear a heel pad in your shoe.

If you are experiencing pain behind your heel, you may have inflamed the area where the Achilles tendon goes into the heel bone.  Some causes include running too much or wearing shoes that rub or cut into the back of the heel.  The pain behind the heel may build up slowly over time.  This can cause the skin to thicken, become red and swell.  You may also develop a bump on the back of your heel that feels tender and warm to the touch.  The pain flares up when you first start an activity and after resting.  Sometime it will hurt too much to wear normal shoes.  You may also need an x-ray to see if a bone spur has developed.
Treatment for behind the heel pain can include:  resting from activities that are causing the problem, doing special stretching exercises, using pain medication and wearing open back shoes.

If you are experiencing any heel pain, call our office at 419-423-1888 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Vail.  You can also visit our website at www.vailfoot.com.