The question my patients ask me the most is “Why does my heel hurt?”.
While there are many causes of heel pain, we foot and ankle doctors generally classify heel pain into four categories: Heel spur, Achilles Tendon Infection, Bursitis and Nerve Pain. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is important to find out exactly where the pain is located and how the mechanical movement of the foot is affected by the pain.
Heel spur, one of the most common causes of heel pain, is an inflammation of the connective tissue that stretches from the heel to the toes. When a patient has this condition, this connective tissue first becomes irritated and then inflamed, thus causing pain in the heel or arch of the foot. A heel spur is a pain that indicates mechanical problems associated with the way the foot works. We can usually treat heel spur with non-surgical methods such as stretching exercises; rest; shoe and shoe sole changes; orthotic devices; night splint and injection therapy. While many patients respond to these preventive treatments, in some patients surgical intervention may be necessary to fix the problem.
Achilles tendon infection can also cause heel pain. It is usually observed in athletic patients involved in high-impact sports such as basketball and tennis and as a result of “overuse”. Sudden acceleration and repeated movements that strain the Achilles tendon cause a sudden stretching, leading to micro-injuries within the tendon. In order to treat an Achilles tendon infection, the foot is usually immobilized using a walking boot or cast, and physical therapy, orthotic devices and ice application are also helpful in tendon treatment. Surgery may be necessary when tendon damage is extensive or when non-surgical methods do not help.
Another common cause of heel pain is heel fat pad syndrome called bursitis. The small fluid-filled sac in the heel becomes inflamed, causing redness and swelling of the fat pad in the heel, i.e., bursitis. This fat pad, which protects the heel against friction, becomes infected due to repetitive movements or irritated by shoes. Bursitis mostly affects the heel and toes. Treatment of bursitis includes rest, ice and anti-infective medication, use of insoles and corticosteroid injections to prevent infection and pain. When these preventive methods are not enough to relieve the pain, surgery may be necessary.
Finally, a less common cause of heel pain is nerve pain. When the pain is nerve-related, it feels more like a burning sensation or an electric shock, or a pain that radiates from the heel through the foot, often into the toes. Patients often tell me that their heels feel like they are “burning”. There are medications that can help with this nerve pain, but in this case a nerve decompression surgery is needed to decompress the pinched nerve causing the pain. These patients can often receive several misdiagnoses before going to a foot and ankle doctor and getting the right treatment.
Whatever the cause of your heel pain, I always advise my patients to see a foot and ankle doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Our specialization in the foot and ankle area and the training we have received exclusively in this field enable us to accurately identify what bothers our patients and to provide them with the most effective treatment.
More About Sole ProblemsTo find foot and ankle treatment, you can contact with us.
Phone: +90 212 240 15 30
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