What causes your heels to hurt?

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What causes your heels to hurt?

• By-Dr. Clifford Wolf

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• Trust me, you arent the only one! It is one of
  the most common problems I see. The best way to
  combat this problem is to attack it with full
  force...as soon as possible.
• Heel pain can have many different causes. The
  patients that generally suffer most from this
  condition are the ones on their feet a lot.
  Continuous standing walking on a daily basis
  starting a repetitive activity, such as a new
  exercise routine, without proper shoes, can put a
  lot of stress and strain on the ligaments in the
  foot. It eventually results in inflammation and
  pain.

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• The good news is, heel pain is treatable. If
  treatment is sought early, all but a small
  percentage of affected patients will experience
  relief with conservative therapies. These
  include limiting activities, footwear
  modifications, and stretching exercises.
  Procrastination can cause the pain to become not
  only chronic, but debilitating as well.
• Major causes of heel pain and their treatment.
  While there can be many reasons for heel pain,
  generally it is categorized into four major
  causes plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis,
  bursitis and nerve pain. Diagnosing the specific
  issue depends on the exact location of the pain
  and how the pain affects the mechanical movement
  of the leg.

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• Plantar fasciitis This is the most common cause
  of heel pain. Its an inflammation of the band of
  tissue (the plantar fascia), that extends from
  the heel, to the metatarsal heads.
• When patients suffer from this ailment, the
  fascia becomes irritated and then inflamed,
  resulting in heel pain or pain in the arch of the
  foot. Plantar fascia pain is a tell-tale sign
  that there are mechanical issues going on in how
  the foot works.

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• We typically treat plantar fasciitis first with
  non-surgical strategies, such as stretching
  exercises rest footwear modifications orthotic
  devices night splints and injection therapy.
  While most patients respond well to conservative
  treatments, some require surgery to correct the
  problem.The injection therapy is something that
  would have to be administered by your GP, as it
  is not something that falls within my scope of
  practice.
• Achilles tendonitis Also known as inflammation
  of the Achilles tendon, can also be a cause of
  heel pain. We often see this overuse condition
  in athletic patients who play high-impact sports,
  like basketball or tennis.

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• They often have a sudden increase of repetitive
  activity involving the Achilles tendon, which
  puts too much stress on the tendon too quickly,
  leading to micro injuries.To treat this
  condition, you can immobilize the foot with a
  walking boot or cast, along with physical therapy
  application, orthotics, and ice to help repair
  the tendon. If the tendon is severely damaged, or
  if nonsurgical treatments dont work, surgery may
  be necessary.
• Bursitis Another cause of heel pain commonly
  seen, is where the fat pad of the heel exhibits
  redness and swelling from inflammation of the
  small fluid-filled sac inside the heel, called
  the bursa. The bursa, which protects the heel
  from friction, can become inflamed from
  repetitive motion or irritation from shoes.

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• In the case of bursitis, the heel and the toes
  are most often affected. Treatment may include
  resting the foot, ice, anti-inflammatory drug
  therapy, padding, and corticosteroid injections
  to reduce the inflammation and relieve pain.
  Surgery may be necessary if conservative methods
  do not provide relief.
• Nerve pain Is a somewhat less common cause of
  heel pain. When the nerves are involved, it feels
  more like a burning or electrical pain, shooting
  or radiating down the foot from the heel,
  typically towards the toes. A patient will often
  tell me their heel burns. There are medications
  that may help with nerve pain, but in this
  instance, the patient tends to need nerve
  decompression surgery, a procedure to help
  untrap the nerve.

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• These patients tend to have several misdiagnoses,
  before they visit with a specialist to correctly
  remedy their pain.
• Whatever your heel pain, I always encourage
  people to see a podiatrist or orthopaedic surgeon
  for a proper diagnosis. We specialise in the
  lower limbs, and our training helps us to
  effectively get to the bottom of what is ailing
  our patients. When conservative therapies do not
  provide relief after several months, steroidal
  injections are the next step. If still no relief,
  surgery may be considered.
• Your feet mirror your general health . . .
  cherish them!

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• Contact us
• Wolf Podiatry
• 2141 S. El Camino Real. Ste D.,
• Oceanside, CA 92054
• Phone. [phone]
• Website http//www.wolfpodiatry.net/