HEEL PAIN - Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
Walking a mile puts 60 tons of pressure on each foot. Although it is a heavy load, your feet can support it. The most frequent problem affecting the foot and ankle is a damaged, painful heel, which can be brought on by excessive stress. To top it all, exercising or continuing cumbersome physical activities, despite having heel pain, can only make it worse and increase your risk of developing a chronic condition with other symptoms.
Heel pain is a common issue. Even though the cause is usually not serious, the pain can still be very bad and even incapacitating.
What does HEEL PAIN feel like?
When using the affected heel, heel pain is typically experienced as an intense pain. You may feel pain behind or beneath the heel. It typically develops gradually and worsens over time. When you put weight on your heel, you frequently experience intense pain.
What could be the possible causes of heel pain?
Some of the most typical causes of heel pain are as follows:
Plantar Fasciitis
Heel pain is most frequently caused by this, by far. A powerful ligament that connects the heel bone to the tip of the foot is called the plantar fascia. The fascia’s fibers become inflamed when it is stretched too far, which causes pain. Although it can also be felt in the middle of the foot, the pain typically manifests where the ligament connects to the heel bone.
Heel Pain fact The condition is most likely to affect active adults between the ages of 40 and 70, especially if they are runners or have jobs that require them to stand for extended periods of time. |
Achilles Tendinitis
When you walk, run, jump, or push up on your toes, your calf muscles and heel bone are connected by a band of tissue called the Achilles tendon. An overuse injury, Achilles tendinitis, is most frequently seen in weekend warriors or runners who have increased their training volume or intensity.
Achilles Tendon causes numerous microscopic tears when stretched beyond its normal limits. As you flex your foot, you might also encounter a very small range of motions.
Heel Bursitis
This is an inflammation of the bursa, which cushions the bone, ligaments, and muscles at the back of the heel with a fibrous sac filled with fluid. The repeated irritation from stepping on one’s heels firmly can result in inflammation. Additionally, excessive heel pressure from footwear may cause it.
A person suffering from heel bursitis experiences pain either at the back of the heel or the on the heel’s interior section.
What are the symptoms of heel pain?
Depending on the cause, heel pain can have various symptoms. Along with pain, you might also feel:
- Growth of bone on the heel
- Discoloration (bruising or redness)
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Pain after getting up from a lying-down or seated position
Heel Pain TREATMENT
NON-SURGICAL methods
There are a couple of ways procedures that can lessen heel pain and hasten your recovery. These consist of:
Resting – Resting your heels and avoiding long walks and periods of standing can calm down the pain.
Regular stretching – Stretching your calf muscles and applying an ice pack to the heel that is hurting can give you some relief.
Medications – Taking painkillers like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can all also assist in reducing pain to a great extent.
ESWT Therapy – In many cases of Plantar fasciitis, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) can be opted to treat heel pain. In this method, shockwaves are sent through the heel to encourage the healing of the inflamed plantar fascia tissues. To hasten the healing process, it employs mechanical high-energy sound waves, which work by enhancing blood flow to the inflamed area.
Just 5 to 6 sessions of ESWT can reduce pain and sensitivity by overstimulating pain transmission nerves and triggering repair mechanisms.
SURGICAL options
The aforementioned remedies may not be sufficient in 1 out of every 20 cases, and you might need SURGERY to release the plantar fascia problem:
Plantar Fascia surgery
Our surgeon may conduct a procedure known as a plantar fascia release to relieve pain. To relieve tension and inflammation in the tissue, a section of the plantar fascia ligament is cut. This open surgery or endoscopic surgery is done as an outpatient procedure.
How can you PREVENT heel pain?
There are numerous ways to lower your risk of heel pain, including:
- Put on shoes that are comfortable, shock-absorbing, and have a secure fastening, like laces.
- Any footwear with worn heels should be replaced or thrown away.
- When working out or playing a sport, always warm up and cool down. Make sure to do plenty of slow, sustained stretches.
- Our podiatrist may advise shoe inserts (orthoses) to support long haul if necessary or strap your feet in order to support the muscles and ligaments.
Don't put up with your heel pain; consult our foot and ankle specialist
With more than two decades of experience, our podiatrist Dr KP Meda is a veteran in this field. He is specialised in treating all kinds of foot and ankle ailments. Before moving ahead, he prefers discussing the treatment options with his patients in a detailed manner. Along with being a meticulous physician, he is also the author of many published articles and journals.
Book your appointment here.
