What's Causing Your Heel Pain

When we walk, we put a lot of stress on each foot. Our feet can actually manage heavy loads but too much stress can push them to their limits. When you’re involved in sports like running, playing basketball or volleyball and even using the wrong shoes can irritate tissues in the foot that can lead to heel pain.

When the tissues around the heel get irritated, this will cause considerable amount pain on the affected area. This can heal itself without any medication if the foot is allowed to rest. However, a lot of people ignore the early signs of heel pain and go on with their usual activities. This can eventually lead to chronic heel pain that will need one or more treatment modalities to alleviate pain.

Diagnosing the cause of heel pain is best done by a podiatrist. Identifying the cause is crucial because there may be different or similar treatment options for each condition.

Generally, there are two categories in the diagnosis of heel pain. These are posterior heel pain or pain at the back of the heel and inferior heel pain or pain underneath the foot.

Posterior heel pain usual involves the insertion of the Achilles tendon to the calcaneus or heel bone. This is common among runners or in people who wear shoes that can apply pressure at the back of the foot. This initially starts are as tolerable pain and can get worse if ignored.

Inferior heel pain usually involves an irritated plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a strong fibrous tissue found underneath the foot. Same as the Achilles tendon, the plantar fascia also inserts to the heel bone to the digits of the feet. The plantar fascia is constantly under pressure when walking, running, or lifting weights. It also plays a vital role in maintaining the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is the term used for an inflamed or irritated plantar fascia. Irritation occurs at the insertion of the plantar fascia to the heel bone. In chronic plantar fasciitis, it is common to find a heel spur on radiologic findings.

Treatment involves the R.I.C.E method, which stands for rest, ice, compress, and elevate. This is very effective in the early course of heel pain. On the other hand, chronic heel pain is more difficult to manage especially when a spur has already formed. It is best to visit a podiatrist when dealing with chronic pain.