Pain in your feet can make walking or participating in everyday activities uncomfortable. According to Dr. Tracy Aldridge of the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, heel pain is a common complaint in adults. Your heel pain may be due to injury or to overuse. Identifying the type of heel pain and its causes can lead to lessening or eliminating the pain.
Bruise
If you step on a stone or other hard object, you can bruise the bottom of your heel. You may not be able to see the bruise, but it will hurt to step on your heel, according to the University of Connecticut Health Center. The pain will resolve on its own if you rest your foot as much as possible.
Bursitis
Bursitis is an inflammation of the back of the heel. Shoes that are too tight or that rub your heel can cause bursitis, or it can be triggered by an injury, such as landing hard on your heels. Anti-inflammatories and better-fitting shoes can solve the problem, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Heel Spurs
Calcium deposits along your heel bone, known as bone spurs, can cause heel pain. The University of Connecticut Health Center reports these heel spurs often occur in conjunction with plantar fasciitis. Treating the plantar fasciitis often resolves the heel spur as well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Wearing special heel pads may help relieve the pain.
Plantar Fasciitis
When the connective tissue that joins your heel to the sole of your foot becomes inflamed, you have a condition known as plantar fasciitis. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, your pain may be worse in the morning, as the tissue stiffens up overnight. The pain is usually felt at the bottom of the heel. Causes include running on hard surfaces and landing hard on your heels, shoes with poor support, or pronation---rolling your foot inward as you walk. Treatments include orthotics to correct pronation, supportive shoes, and stretches to loosen the muscles and relieve tightness, as well as anti-inflammatories to relieve inflammation.
Tendinitis
Inflammation of the tendon that connects your heel and ankle can result in Achilles tendinitis. You'll usually feel this pain at the back of the heel. Running in non-supportive shoes or wearing shoes that rub the back of the heel can cause tendinitis. Anti-inflammatories, stretching and orthotics can help. You may need to rest your foot until the pain resolves before you return to activities such as running.
