Foot Heel Pain Treatment

Are you worn-out with heel pain?

Heel pain is one of those very common conditions that you can experience after a day out with friends or after a day at work. It restricts your movements, prevents you from exercising and affects many activities you could do.

Why suffer from it any longer? Whether it bothers you every day or occasionally, you should know why it is happening and how you can help yourself. Let’s start with the most common causes of foot pain.

Plantar Fasciitis

This condition develops when the fascia (that thin ligament that connects the front of the foot with the heel) is overstretched.

This condition can develop in anyone but it’s more common among obese people, people with diabetes, runners, pregnant women, tennis and volleyball players, and people who do stair climbing.

Heel Spur

A heel spur refers to an abnormal growth of a bone in the spot where the fascia attaches to the heel bone.

One of the main reasons that cause a heel spur is long-term strain, which often happens to runners, joggers and obese people. Heel spurs can get worse, especially if you wear poorly fitting shoes.

Calcaneal Apophysitis

This condition refers to a situation when the heel bone becomes irritated due to increased activity or poorly fitting shoes. This is very common among growing children between ages 6 and 15 and people who participate in sports a lot.

Bursitis

Bursitis is an inflammation that restricts the movements of muscles and joints. The common symptom of bursitis is pain at the back of the heel. Poorly cushioned heels are the most common cause of bursitis.

Pump Bump

This condition refers to the growth of the bone at the back of the heel. The most common causes are improper shoes, injuries, and increase in weight.

Symptoms

The heel can be painful in different ways. We are going to go through the most common ones. If you have a condition like plantar fasciitis, you may feel strong heel pain during the first steps after sitting for a long time or after waking up.

If you have a heel spur, you may feel pain on the surface of the feet and it will get worse after several months. You can also feel pain at the back of the heel that gets worse when you bend your foot up.

A trapped nerve can also cause severe pain inside your heel. You can also experience swelling or discoloration.

Diagnosis

When you feel foot pain of any kind, you should visit a podiatrist. There, you will describe your symptoms and the doctor will want to know about your medical history, your lifestyle and your pain. The podiatrist will ask about:

• recent injuries
• whether pain gets worse after exercise
• your medical history, especially everything about arthritis, diabetes and injuries
• your age
• your occupation
• the type of footwear you wear the most
• your recreational activities, especially sports and training programs

Then, the doctor will thoroughly examine your feet and sometimes even your shoes. Signs of wear in shoes can be clues to your problems as well.

Treatment

The first step is to come in for a visit at the Beltsville Foot and Ankle Center to get an examination of your problem. After that, our podiatrists will recommend a treatment based on your condition.

At Beltsville Foot and Ankle Center, we will do everything to make sure you heal quickly. Once the rehabilitation process is over, you will get back to your pain-free life!

So make an appointment now to see a podiatrist who will help you forget about heel pain or any other uncomfortable sensations in your feet.