What is heel pain and how common is it? Heel pain is one of the most common complaints that patients bring to doctors, accounting for up to 30% of all visits and costing employers billions of dollars a year. But what exactly is heel pain, and how common is it?
The heel bone (calcaneus) sits at the base of your big toe and connects your ankle bone with your foot. In some cases, heeled shoes may exacerbate an underlying problem by stressing out the Achilles tendon or other connective tissue near the ankle bone.
Although many cases resolve on their own without treatment, certain conditions – such as plantar fasciitis or Morton’s neuroma – can be debilitating and require surgery or long-term therapy. If you experience chronic heel pain that doesn’t go away after trying conservative measures like stretching exercises and footwear adjustments, see your doctor for an evaluation.
Types Of Heel Pain And How To Treat Them
There are many types of heel pain and each requires different heel pain treatment. Here is a list of some common types and the methods that can be used to treat them:
spurs: Heel spurs are small bumps or protrusions on the back of the that causes pain when you walk. Treatment often includes wearing special shoes, rest, and medication.
This can result in severe and fatigue due to constant rubbing against hard surfaces. Treatment usually involves stretching exercises, daily massage, custom orthotics, education about healthy footwear choices, and possibly surgery if conservative measures fail.
Heel bruise: A heeled person’s contoured heels hit uneven ground more times than feet without heels every time they take a step which may generate pressure against blood vessels near your ankle causing bruising as shown here
How To Treat Heel Pain If It Is Not Successful With Other Methods
If you’re not seeing any improvement in treating your with other methods, there are a few things you can try. One option is to see a doctor. He or she may be able to prescribe you medication or give you an injection that will help relieve the pain.
Another option is to use physical therapy. This type of treatment generally involves using devices like PT balls, resistance bands, and mattresses in order to stretch If none of these treatments work for you, it might be time to consider surgery.
Surgery is a last resort option for people who have severe heel pain that doesn’t respond to other treatments. There are several types of surgeries available that can help relieve arthroscopy, which involves making a small cut into the skin above your ankle; open surgery, plantar fasciotomy (PF), which is a procedure where surgeons cut ligaments on either side of the ball of your foot.
If you’re still having heel pain after following the treatment suggested by your doctor or podiatrist, there might be another option available to you. You could try a foot stretch and heat therapy session. This method is said to work well in relieving muscle tension and supporting healing. In addition, wearing supportive shoes while performing these stretches can also help.
Conclusion
can be a very frustrating experience. If it’s not treated quickly, it can lead to other more serious problems such as calf and ankle inflammation. So, be sure to see an experienced podiatrist. A podiatrist can help diagnose the source of your heel pain and provide treatment that will hopefully relieve.