Heel Pain

Understanding Heel Pain

Your heel is found at the bottom of the back part of your foot. Here, a band of tissue called the plantar fascia connects the heel bone to the bones in the ball of your foot. Nerves run from the heel up the inside of your ankle and into your leg. So, when you feel pain in the bottom of your heel, the plantar fascia may be inflamed. Overuse, Achilles tightness, or excess body weight can cause the tissue to tear or pull away from the bone. Sometimes, the inflamed plantar fascia may also irritate a nerve, thus causing more pain and discomfort.

What Causes Heel Pain?

There are many causes of heel pain. One of them includes wearing shoes with poor cushioning. Doing this can irritate the tissue in your heel or plantar fascia, so it’s essential to wear well-fitting and comfortable footwear. Being overweight or standing for long periods may also put excess strain on your feet and result in pained heels.

Besides that, running, walking, playing sports that put stress on the heels of your feet, like tennis or volleyball, or performing other activities can cause tiny tears in the tissue. If your lower leg muscles are tight, this is more likely to occur. That said, proper warm-up and stretching are crucial to avoid symptoms. One of the symptoms of Achilles tendinitis, a condition caused by overuse of the Achilles tendon, also includes heel pain.

Symptoms Of Heel Pain

You may feel pain on the bottom or on the inside edge of your heel. The pain may be sharp when you get out of bed or when you stand up after sitting for a while. You may also feel a dull ache in your heel when you’re running or after you’ve been standing for a long time on a hard surface. Besides that, stiffness, swelling, tenderness and discoloration may also be present with heel pain.

If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a foot doctor right away. Contact us at Thomas Podiatry & Associates in Salisbury, MD for more information about our podiatric services.