Your feet endure 60 tons of stress per mile you walk. Your feet can carry a heavy load, but they do have their limits. Running on hard pavement or wearing ill-fitting shoes can cause heel pain. Heel pain is a common foot problem and is often a result of overworking the feet.
Causes
Prolonged periods of running outdoors on concrete can cause heel pain. Other causes of heel pain include wearing poor-fitting running shoes or shoes with insufficient support or shock absorption, landing hard or awkwardly on your heel, suddenly turning your heel inward or outward, and tightness in your Achilles tendon or calf muscles.
Pain Under the Heel
Pain under your heel may be the result of a stone bruise. A stone bruise is caused by stepping on a hard object like a stone or rock. A bruise develops on the underside of your heel. Pain under the heel may also be caused by plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the fascia connecting the heel bone to the base of the toes. Too much jumping or running is a common cause of plantar fasciitis. Prolonged plantar fasciitis can lead to heel spurs, or calcium deposits forming where the fascia connects to your heel bone.
Pain Behind Your Heel
Pain behind your heel may indicate an inflamed Achilles tendon, caused by running too much or wearing running shoes that cut into the back of the heel. The pain may develop slowly over time and the skin may thicken, turn red and swell. The pain also flares up when you start to do an activity after resting. A tender bump that feels warm to the touch may develop on the back of the heel, and wearing shoes may be too painful.
Treatment
Surgery is rarely required for treating heel pain, and heel pain usually goes away with rest. Stone bruises usually heal after you give your heel plenty of rest. Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs can be treated with medications for swelling, doing special exercises and wearing a heel pad in your shoe. Heel spurs may also require an X-ray to examine bony protrusions. Treatment for inflamed Achilles tendons involves stretching exercises, pain medication and wearing open-back shoes. You can also apply ice to the area for 10 to 15 minutes twice daily. Call your doctor if home treatment does not relieve pain, your pain worsens, you notice redness and swelling of your heels, you cannot put weight on your foot or you experience sudden and severe pain.
