5 Things You Need to Know About Heel Pain

1. Know Why and How

The causes of heel pain range from poor flexibility, bad arch support, increased activity, obesity and jobs that require you to spend a lot of time on your feet. Before your heel starts to hurt, use good preventative measures. Wear well-fitting shoes and discard worn-out ones. Warm up well before you exercise; especially, stretch the Achilles tendon and ankles before and after running. Wear shoes around the house instead of going barefoot or with socks. Getting an appropriate amount of rest and losing weight also help.

2. What's up, Doc?

If you have heel pain, inflammation and swelling that lasts more than a day, stop all activity and make an appointment with a podiatrist. The podiatrist will examine the area and take an x-ray of your foot to check for any bone problems. Treatment includes taping the foot, obtaining shoe inserts and giving injections to bring down the inflammation. Physical therapy is another possibility, depending on the severity. Surgery is rare in heel pain cases.

3. Plantar Fasciitis Pain

A sharp heel pain indicates that the fascia that runs along the bottom of the foot is inflamed. It's common in sports that require a lot of running and jumping. The band of tissues that make up the fascia can over-extend and tear. Often, a bone spur forms where the tissues connect to the heel bone. The only real cure for heel spur pain is icing, resting and stretching. Surgery isn't often recommended; it can actually worsen the condition.

4. Wobbly Walkers

If you ever go to a sports therapist for pain, she'll have you run to check for pronation. Some people pronate more than others. As the heel hits the ground, your weight normally shifts from the outside to the inside of the foot. If the movement is excessive, it pulls and stretches the ligaments too much, causing heel pain. Hip, knee and lower back injuries are also common results of pronation. A sports therapist can recommend inserts and shoes to help with pronation. Therapy often helps a patient to decrease pronation when walking and running.

5. The Other Pain in the Heel

Rheumatoid arthritis and gout also cause heel pain. A bursitis, or small sac of fluid in the heel, can feel like a heel spur. Ill-fitting shoes can create a deformity called Haglund's that often requires surgery. Pain on the back of heel is usually Achilles tendonitis; treatment is ice and rest. Athletes and hikers can bruise the heel if they come down directly on a sharp or solid object. These types of heel pain need evaluation by a doctor in order to rule out anything more serious and help with treatment.