A Simple Guide to Understanding and Treating Heel Pain

Heel Pain Treatment

Heel pain can arise from injuries such as sprains, fractures, tears and tight calf muscles. The Treatments that we provide at The Footlift London Clinic is determined by the cause.

Each foot and ankle comprise 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 tendons. The heel is the biggest bone in the foot. Heel pain is the most common foot complaint.

Overuse and weakness in the feet and ankles can cause tightness in the plantar fascia and achilles tendon. Our lead Podiatrist Simone Paul recommends that a Podiatrist should be contacted if heel pain lasts for more than three weeks.

In this blog, we will tell you everything you need to know about the causes, risk factors, complications of heel pain, and heel pain treatment.

What is heel pain?

Heel pain is a very common foot and ankle complaint. You might face pain, soreness or tenderness in any part of your heel or sole of the foot but yhe the most common painful areas are under the arch and centre of the heel bone. Many medical conditions can give rise to heel pain, involving plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis.

People with heel pain face difficulty in walking and participating in regular activities. Most heel problems get better with nonsurgical treatments but and offloading.

What causes heel pain?

Tight Calf Muscles and hamstrings: When the muscles at the back of the leg are tight, it pulls on the plantar fascia and causes inflammation in the achilles and plantar fascia. This creates stiffness and reduces flexibility in the rearfoot. The plantar fascia then gets unevenly loaded and the plantar fascia gets inflamed. Plantar fasciits can be acute or chronic.

Footwear: Footwear that affects the natural shape of the feet such as narrow toe boxed shoes, slip on shoes, high heels and flat and over flexible footwear can force the foot into a position where the plantar fascia is unevenly loaded. Ill fitting footwear can also be uncomfortable and inbalance the gait, this affects the overall biomechanics and can create more tension in the heel and rearfoot.

Achilles tendinitis: Your Achilles tendon is a thick rope like tendon that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. It also has a reduced anount of blood vessels making the area relatively avascular. It’s the body’s longest and most powerful tendon. Runners and basketball players are more vulnerable to Achilles tendinitis. This injury happens from overuse and over rubbing of footwear. Tendonitis can cause soreness in the back of the heel, swelling, and stiffness.

Bursitis: Bursitis takes place when fluid-filled sacs known as bursae expand. Bursitis is usually associated with high impact injuries, for example jumping from high heights and landing on the heels. Bursitis may have a sore, bruised-like feeling in the back or centre of your heel.

Haglund’s deformity: Chronic tenderness and irritation can give rise to an elongated, bony bump developing in the back of your heel. Shoes having higher heels, like pumps, can make the bump and pain severe.

Sever’s disease (calcaneal apophysitis): Sever’s disease is a repeated cause of heel pain in active children who range between 8 to 14 (age). Kids who perform activities that require a lot of running and jumping are more vulnerable to this problem. More exercise can aggravate the growth plate at the back of their heels.

Risk Factors For Heel Pain

Anything that puts a lot of unnatural pressure on your feet can cause heel pain. The shape of your feet, joint mobility and arch heights are also factors.

You are more at risk of developing heel pain if you:

●Have Rheumatoid or Osteooarthritis.
● Run or jump for daily exercise.
● Stan for a long time, especially on hard floors.
● Wear shoes that don’t fit well, lack a solid heel counter and shock absorption.
Have naturally Hypermobile joints
Heel Pain Treatment & Care

How Heel Pain is Diagnosed?

Our Podiatrist’s at The Footlift London Clinic will examine your feet, assess your circulation and nerves and perform some muscle testing on the feet. During The Biomechanical Assesment which can be booked in online, provides our clients with a diagnosis, explanation as to what has caused the condition, instant results from the neurovascular assesment and a treatment plan to assist the healing process.

How can my podiatrist stop my heel from hurting?

Depending on the diagnosis obtained for the initial biomechanical assesment, Our Podiatrists may prescribe, treat and advise with:

Non Thermal Cold Laser: During this effective pain free laser session, we assess your anatomy and follow nerve pathways which lead to the heel pain and discomfort. The photonic energy delivered through the laser beams are absorbed by your cells and converts to energy that your body can use for healing resulting in a reduction of inflammation, cell regeneration, increased blood flow and improvement in your general wellbeing. No down time is required and three to six sessions are required. This treatment modality is our most effective treatment for heel pain.

Stretching exercises : Your Podiatrist can explain and demonstrate how to perform effective weight bearing and non weightbearing exercises to release tightness in the muscles. Prescribed stretches will be appropriate for your body and presenting complaint, this will so be accompanied by barefoot exercises for the feet.

Taping: Your podiatrist may use kinesiology tape to offload and distribute pressure. The taping approach used depends on the exact location of heel pain.

Orthotic Devices: If offloading is essential to treat heel pain that has been present for over six months custom-made bespoke orthotics (orthotics) can sucessfully accomodate the arches and provide ahock absorption.

Injections: Steroid injections can relieve pain and swelling. If all of the above treatments have not relieved the heel pain, our Podiatrists may recommend and suggest an ultrasound guided steroid injection within the plantar fadcia.

Immobilization: If the pain lasts a long time and doesn’t get better with treatment, our podiatrists may need to orivide you with an air boot or cast the lower leg.

Complications of Heel Pain

Heel pain can affect activities of daily living. This can have a negative effect on ones mental health and overall wellbeing. In chronic cases of heel pain, limping and changes to the gait cycle and walking pattern can occur.

Untreated Achilles tendonitis can cause ruptures in the tendon which may require surgical correction.

Untreated plantar fasciitis can lead to tears within the plantar fascia and When To Visit the Doctor.

You should visit your Podiatrist if you experience:

● Heel Pain that doesn’t get better in a few weeks by resting.
● Shooting pain and numbness in the heel while walking or weightbearing
● Swelling, temperature increase and stiffness in the foot or heel for more than 24 hours

Final Words

Heel pain often gets better over time with non-operational treatments. Your doctor diagnose the condition causing the heel pain symptoms.

Our Podiatrists at The Footlift London Clinic are able to assess , diagnose, treat, and offer you evidence based advice for Foot Pain relief? Boon in for The Biomechanical Assesment Here: https://the-footlift-london.uk1.cliniko.com/bookings#location

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