Heel pain, except in cases of trauma, is generally caused by a clinical condition known as plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a type of tendonitis in which the tendons on the bottom of one's foot become inflamed and painful. It commonly occurs in runners, overweight individuals and those who are flat-footed. Several medical treatments are successful in alleviating the heel pain. Surgery is a last resort treatment that only a few patients need to undergo.
Stretching Exercises
Various forms of heel, foot, ankle, and calf stretching exercises can be done at home. The patient just needs a wall to lean against and some therapy tools such as a tennis ball and water bottle. To do the wall-stretch exercise the patient should stand facing a wall, while placing his hands on the wall, about chest high. He then moves the affected heel back and with the foot flat on the ground. He then moves the opposite leg forward and gradually leans toward the wall until he feels a pull through the calf. The patient should do 10 such reps at least twice daily.
Shoe inserts
Two types of shoe inserts can help treat heel pain: heel lifts and arch supports. Heel lifts are wedge-shaped shoe inserts that fit snugly into the heel portion of one's shoes. An arch support is an orthotic device that is placed midway inside the shoe, and is designed to create an artificial arch for patients who are flat-footed. Though both types of inserts can be bought at shoe stores, best results are obtained by having custom inserts made through one's podiatrist.
Anti-inflammatory agents
Ice is the simplest type of anti-inflammatory agent, and is quite effective in treating acute heel pain. The patient may simply apply a bag of crushed ice against the heel, or soak the affected foot in an ice bath for about thirty minutes. It is best done in the evening, at the end of a full day of walking. The other type of anti-inflammatory agent is medication: Advil, ibuprofen, Aleve, naproxen, and Voltaren all belong to the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug category, and all are effective in treating heel pain.
Corticosteroid Injections
Steroid injections are delivered, via syringe and needle, directly into the heel tissue area. This method is generally reserved for severe cases that don't respond to the above-listed conservative treatments for heel pain. Such injections need to be administered by a podiatrist or orthopedist who is well versed in the procedure.
Surgery
The surgical treatment option, called plantar fascia release surgery, is clearly a treatment of last resort, and only a very small percentage of heel pain sufferers end up needing this procedure. Though there are moderate risks and potential complications, the surgery is usually curative when done by a highly trained foot surgeon.
