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Heel Pain Causes:
Find out what contributes to your sore and painful heels |
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While numerous factors and conditions can lead to foot pain, the most common is heel pain. You may also hear doctors refer to heel pain as heel spur syndrome or plantar fasciitis; however, these conditions can be present with and without an actual bony spur.
What causes heel pain? Heel pain can flare up when the plantar fascia ligament that stretches from the heel to the ball of the foot – which also supports the arch – becomes inflamed. Calcium deposits may eventually form on the heel bone, resulting in mild to serious heel pain when applying pressure on the foot.
Having flat feet is major causes of heel pain. As the arch starts to collapse, the band of ligament and the muscle in the bottom of the foot absorbs the impact of pressure from standing or walking. Eventually, it stretches beyond its limits, leading to possible muscle tears and bone spurs. If you have flat feet, make any effort to wear support shoes that offer stability through the arch.
Other causes of heel pain include:
- High arches that pull on the muscles.
- Tight calves muscles caused from poor or little stretching.
- Muscle tension that pulls away a piece of the bone.
Now that you know the causes of heel pain, find out how to treat and prevent symptoms:
- Take the pressure off the foot.
- Wear proper footwear for both everyday and sporting activities.
- Use insoles that support the arch and reduce tension on the ligament.
- Make use of a heel pad, heel cushion or slight heel lift to relieve pressure and reduce inflammation of the plantar at its attachment to the heel bone.
- Correct leg length discrepancy via an adjustable heel lift.
- Use a heel cup to add extra shock absorption to shoes, thus reducing pressure on heels.
- Give the afflicted area an ice massage to reduce inflammation and relieve tension.
- Stretch calf muscle to reduce tightness.
- Maintain length of the tight calf muscle with the use of a night splint.
If you are interested in learning more about what causes heel pain or how to treat it, contact your local podiatrist.
Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on muscoskeletal health. |
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| Disclaimer for Health Content Pages |
FootSmart lower body health condition content pages describe general principles of healthcare that should not in any event be construed as specific instructions for individual consumers. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication or as a substitute for proper medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This healthcare content is for reference only and should not be used to determine treatment for specific medical conditions – only a healthcare provider can do that.
You should discuss the information provided with a podiatrist, physician or other licensed healthcare professional, and make sure to read any product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage, precautions, warnings, interactions and contraindications before administering or using any device, support, brace, compression hosiery, shoes intended for use by diabetics, skincare product, herb, vitamin or supplement discussed on this site.
Proper treatment of lower body health conditions depends upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, your medical history, diet, lifestyle and medications that may be taking. Your healthcare provider can best assess and address your individual healthcare needs. |
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