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,
Board Certified Foot & Ankle Surgeon
