Live Life Team
The human foot is a combination of 26 bones with the heel being the largest one. The heel of the foot performs an important function of absorbing the impact, when the body is in walking or running motion, and springing it forward to take the next step. It is created to be a solid support for bearing the weight of the body. The walking action places a stress of one-and-a-quarter times the weight of the body on the feet. This increases to two-and-three-quarter times of the weight of the body when in running action. Understanding the pressures that the heel goes through, it clear that heel pain is a common problem.
Heel pain can usually be minor and bearable and resolve on its own. However, in some cases, it can become an acute problem with persisting pain.
Heel pain can be attributed to various causal factors like plantar fasciitis, policeman’s heel (the fluid-filled sac or bursa getting inflamed) and pain shooting down from the affected nerves in the lower back.
Symptoms
Pain in the heel can begin without an injury or damage to the foot. It can get triggered by insignificant factors like wearing absolutely flat footwear. This causes a stretch in plantar fascia and inflammation occurs in the surrounding area. Pain emerges under the foot closer to the heel front. Initially, one foot gets affected and pain is worst when standing on the foot in the morning when getting off the bed. The pain might lessen over the day with activity, however, is likely to come back in the evening when it has taken too much stress.
Diagnosis
One needs to see the podiatrist if the heel pain persists for some time. He will examine the foot and discuss your medical history in general, the type footwear that you wear more often, how, when and where does the pain occur, how many hours of standing and walking do you have in a day. This will help assess your condition and form a confirmed diagnosis. He might get a blood examination or an x-ray done in certain cases.
Treatment
The treatment is dependant on the cause of heel pain.
Treatment for plantar fasciitis: one must immediately take the below measures to resolve heel pain.
- Change your shoes, avoid flat and unsupportive footwear
- Stretch out and extend the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon.
- Take anti-inflammatory drugs
- Insoles or orthotics can be used to cushion the foot arch as it heals.
- Strap up the plantar fascia to provide support, especially in the beginning stage of the condition. Physiotherapy techniques like laser, heat and ultrasound can be effectively used.
- Chronic cases can be resolved by hydrocortisone injections taken under a local anaesthesia. A set of three shots serves the purpose.
- For even more acute and stubborn cases, one can use walking casts used below the knee, night splints and surgical method of releasing plantar fascia.
Treatment of heel bursitis: it is important to see a podiatrist to identify the cause of heel pain, whether it is plantar fasciitis or heel bursitis. To treat bursitis, you will be advised to take rest and use cushioned insoles or heel cups to avoid over straining of the heel. In severe cases, steroid injections may be given.
Treatment for pump bumps or heel bumps: The podiatrist will get to the cause of rubbing that is leading to the formation of bumps and then advice suitable padding to be used. Treatment is also done by orthoses which resolves the foot function by controlling the heel mobility. One should avoid wearing slip-on footwear. In severe cases, bumps can be removed by surgery.
