subject: Enjoy Your Day - Put An End To Your Heel Pain [print this page] Wake up in the morning with extra pep in your step by eliminating your heel pain. A very common foot problem, you may experience pain either under the heel (plantar fasciitis) or just behind it (Achilles tendinitis), where the Achilles tendon connects to the heel bone. Even though heel pain can be severe and sometimes disabling, it is rarely a health threat. Heel pain is typically mild and usually disappears on its own. However, in some cases the pain may persist and become chronic (long-term).
With 26 bones in the human foot, the heel is the largest and is designed to provide a rigid support for the weight of the body. While walking or running, your heel absorbs the impact of the foot when it hits the ground, and springs us forward into our next stride. With so much support resting on your heel, it is vulnerable to damage, and ultimately pain. When pain is exhibited, your podiatrist in Mississauga can help eliminate and prevent further pain in your heel.
Signs and Causes of Heel Pain
With heel pain, the pain will typically come on gradually, with no injury to the affected area and is frequently triggered by wearing a flat shoe, such as flip-flop sandals. Flat footwear may stretch the plantar fascia to such an extent that the area becomes swollen and inflamed. In most cases the pain is under the foot, towards the front of the heel. Pain after rest symptoms tend to be worse just after getting out of bed in the morning, and after a period of rest during the day. After activity symptoms often improve, but they may worsen again towards the end of the day.
Heel pain is not usually caused by a single injury, such as a twist or a fall, but rather the result of repetitive stress and pounding of the heel. The most common causes of heel pain are:
*Plantar fasciitis - inflammation of the plantar fascia.
*Heel bursitis - inflammation of the back of the heel, the bursa (a fibrous sac full of fluid).
*Heel bumps - common in teenagers. The heel bone is not yet fully mature and rubs excessively, resulting in the formation of too much bone.
*Tarsal tunnel syndrome - a large nerve in the back of the foot becomes pinched, or entrapped.
*Chronic inflammation of the heel pad - caused either by the heel pad becoming too thin, or heavy footsteps.
*Stress fracture - this is a fracture caused by repetitive stress, commonly caused by strenuous exercise, sports, or heavy manual work.
*Achilles tendonitis - a chronic condition associated with the progressive degeneration of the Achilles tendon.
Heel Pain Treatment
Treatment of your heel pain often begins with first-line strategies. In other words, your treatment can begin at home with:
*Stretching exercises
*Avoid going barefoot
*Ice
*Limit activities
*Shoe modifications
*Medications
If you are still suffering from pain after several weeks, your podiatrist in Mississauga may add one or more of the following treatment approaches:
*Padding and strapping
*Custom orthotics
*Injection therapy
*Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT)
*Removable walking cast
*Night splint
*Physical therapy
If you are experiencing pain in your heel, don't just "put up" with it. Talk to your Mississauga podiatrist for further diagnosis and treatment of your heel pain so that you can enjoy your day-to-day activities.
