Heel pain can affect people of all ages, lifestyles and activity levels.  You can be an avid exerciser, a home body or just spend all day working on your feet.  I will discuss some of the causes of heel pain, the symptoms and when to seek medical attention.  I have been a practicing podiatrist in Issaquah for over 25 years and have treated and helped 1000’s of patients. 

There are many common causes of heel pain.  However a few are the most common and these include; plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, stress fractures and Baxter’s neuritis. 

Plantar fasciitis is caused from an inflammation of a band of tissue running on the bottom of the foot.  The job of the fascia is to support the arch of the foot and control 3 dimensional movement.  It often occurs with repetitive stress like standing all day or running. 

Achilles tendonitis is usually located more towards the back of the heel.  The Achilles tendon helps to push off the foot during the gait cycle.  Often any activity that increases load like jumping rope can cause the Achilles to become inflamed.  People often feel swelling or a thickening of this tendon in the ankle.

Stress fractures are usually related to overtraining and time.  They occur with repetitive loading of a bone.  The bone I am speaking of in this case is the calcaneus.  These can be tricky to diagnose. 

Baxter’s neuritis is rare but is often confused for plantar fasciitis.  There is usually more of a burning or tingling that occurs.  Often there is not an increase in activities and no correlation with time spent on your feet and pain. 

I recommend seeking early treatment for heel pain.  I see that patients that wait longer have a harder time recovering and often need more therapeutic interventions.  This is especially true for athletes, get in early and get a head of the pathology. 

If you have heel pain and would like an appointment with Issaquah’s top Podiatrist at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online.

Sincerely,

Dr Brandon Nelson

Board Certified Foot & Ankle Surgeon

The most common cause of heel pain continues to be plantar fasciitis.  This is usually caused by a foot structure that puts too much pressure on the fascia or tight muscle groups.  The majority of plantar fasciitis will go away with physician care and patients will return to normal activities.  However, there are a few patients that their heel pain does not get better and need additional treatment.

If you are one of these patients it is important to see a physician that specializes in heel pain.  There can be a few diagnoses that need to be considered for anyone that has recalcitrant heel pain.  These can range from nerve to bone issues and a careful work up is warranted.  Our practice has been home to the Washington Heel Pain Center for years.  We were actually the first heel pain center in Washington State and then saw many other offices try to follow suit.  However, our physician group finds heel pain fascinating and we diligently scour the latest research to remain up to date on causes and treatment options.

If you suffer from heel pain and have seen other doctors we can help.  Or maybe heel pain is new for you and you want the best care we can help.    We provide the best care and have the quickest options to get you back exercising or keep you exercising.  Make an appointment today and we can help. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brandon Nelson

Recent literature has proven that about 10%-20 of American adults will experience heel pain. Heel pain whether it is causes by plantar fasciitis, bursitis or a stress fracture can be challenging to treat. With constant use the foot and ankle rarely have time to recover from the constant pressures of walking. This can make heel pain and plantar fasciitis very difficult for many people.

If you are experiencing pain in the bottom of your foot, especially in the morning it could be plantar fasciitis. Often times patients will describe a bruised type feeling or tightness that loosens up with walking but returns at the end of the day. Some people will feel a numbness or tingling in the foot or even a burning. It is important to have a foot and ankle physician evaluate your foot before initiating treatment.

Treatment for heel pain focuses on finding the underlying causes. The majority of people with heel pain have a tight calf muscle. One of the best long term strategies is to begin a calf stretching program. I like to have my patients stretch 3 times a day and spend a couple minutes on the muscles of the calf. Another great option at home is to ice and rest.

Our clinic Issaquah Foot & Ankle Specialists has one of the most advanced protocols that is based on current research to fix heel pain permanently. The majority of patients we see have a greater than 50% reduction in symptoms in less than 1 week and a long term success rate of almost 98%. We focus on the underlying process that is creating the inflammation and help the body to recover and repair the heel pain. Our methods do not require and period of non-weight bearing and have treated thousands of patients. If you are suffering from heel pain call us at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.

It is the little things! Plantar fasciitis is often an extremely stubborn problem. It often takes a combination of treatments to get this to resolve. Some of the core treatments involve appropriate shoes, prescription orthotics, night splints, icing and other anti-inflammatory treatments. However, sometimes it is surprising how effective it can be to do a little "fine tuning" to the treatment program.

We may have a patient where we have been doing all the right things as mentioned above. And then we question our patient: have you been stretching 4 times a day and the answer is no. And just something like ramping up the stretching to 4 times a day and/or being very consistent with a night splint can make all the difference.

Another example can be wearing the right shoes. Wearing flats or Converse shoes or other shoes that just don't have much structure or support are not helpful for this problem. It is critical to get the shoes that are recommended. For example very good athletic shoes with both a combination of structure and support. This is yet another example where adding this one item while continuing to do everything else, and finally the problem gets better!

If you have heel pain, give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. Myself, Dr. Timothy Young, or my partner Dr. Brandon Nelson would love to see you.