If you're part of the 16% of the population regularly experiencing heel pain, it's not surprising, considering all the steps we take in the course of a day.

Flawed biomechanics, or walking gait, places too much stress on the heel bone and attached soft tissues, and can cause heel pain. Stress may also result from injury, like a bruise incurred while walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces, wearing poorly constructed footwear or being overweight. Heel pain can occur in the front, back, or bottom of the heel.

Of the 26 bones in the human foot, the heel bone is the largest, and seems to take the most abuse. Like all bones, it is subject to damage that can impact its ability to support you and keep you on your feet. The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis/heel spur syndrome. Heel spurs are caused by strain on the muscles and ligaments of the foot. Both heel pain and heel spurs are frequently associated with an inflammation of the band of fibrous connective tissue (fascia) running along the bottom (plantar surface) of the foot. This inflammation is called plantar fasciitis, and it can be quite painful. There are numerous conditions in addition to heel spurs and plantar fasciitis that can cause your heel to hurt. Some of these include bone bruise, bursitis, stress fracture, arthritis, gout, bone cysts and nerve entrapment.

Proper diagnosis and early inititation of therapy are key to successful treatment of heel pain. Some in-office diagnostic tools used by podiatrists include X-Rays, diagnostic ultrasound and nerve conduction. When a patient is diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, treatment should include rest, ice, massage, stretching and possibly cortisone injections and foot orthotics. Studies have demonstrated a 95% success rate with these conservative methods. Surgical options should be considered for more difficult cases.

Some of the latest podiatric surgical procedures for treatment of plantar fasciitis include Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, cryotherapy, coblation therapy and endoscopic plantar fasciotomy/coblation. The shock wave therapy is non-invasive, with no incision made, while the latter procedures are minimally invasive, with only a very small incision required.

Don't assume your heel pain will go away on its own - call your podiatrist today, and let them "remove the knife" from your heel. There's no one better trained to relieve your pain.


Copyright (c) 2010 Paul Yungst