Question
Dr.Bodart,
         I have been experiencing a sharp pain on the medial calcaneus of my left foot. If I draw a line 7 cm. down from the medial malleous then 3.5 cm back towards the heel, I can pinpoint the pain which is about the size of a dime. I notice it after standing up after sitting and it intensifies for several minutes. I am not a runner and I have an average arch in my foot. Any ideas?

Answer
Thank you, Rick, for your question.  

There can be many causes of heel pain, the most common of which is plantar fasciitis.  Typically plantar fasciitis pain occurs during the first few steps out of bed or after prolonged sitting.  It then decreases after you have taken several steps, although if it has been untreated for several months or years, the pain may continue or even intensify throughout the day due to chronic inflammation.

I would recommend that you see a podiatrist to get it checked out, especially if the pain continues or worsens throughout the day.  There are several treatment options, but to choose the best course of action, we first need to figure out why you're having this pain.  It could be caused by anything from heel spurs to nerve entrapment to stress fractures.  I'd like to welcome you to visit us at Advanced Podiatry so we can help you find relief from this pain.  You can also visit our website, www.thetampapodiatrist.com, for more information about heel pain or to schedule an appointment.

Again, I thank you for your question, and I hope that this helps.  Please feel free to contact me again if you have more questions or need additional explanations.

Wishing you health, happiness, and peace,
Dr. Bodart