Having A Lot Of Heel Pain? What Can Cause This And What Are The Treatment Options
If you are having a lot of heel pain, you should see an orthopedic doctor to determine why you are having this pain. This can be due to many things so the doctor can determine the best treatments for you. Below are some things the doctor may find, as well as treatment available.
Causes of Heel Pain
The doctor will run tests on you, which may be an x-ray or an MRI scan of your heel to help them diagnose you. In many cases, plantar fasciitis is the cause of this pain. If you have this, you will feel the most pain on the bottom of your heel.
Another common cause of heel pain is Achilles tendinitis. You likely have this if you feel most of the pain on the back of your heel. You may have inflammation in the joint, which is known as bursitis. The doctor may find that you have a heel spur, which are calcium deposits that build up resulting in a small, hard bump on your heel that is sore to touch.
If you are an athlete or are on your feet a lot, you may have a heel stress fracture, which is a small break in your heel bone. This will make it very painful to put any weight on your foot while walking.
Heel Pain Treatment
How the doctor will treat you will depend on the cause of your pain. The doctor may have you use crutches to keep weight off your foot while you are heeling. The doctor will ask you to stay off your feet as much as you can so this would be a good time to take a few days off work.
Custom-made orthotics are generally suggested. This will ensure that your foot fits properly in your shoes and there is not too much pressure put on your heel. There are companies that make these orthotics. You will go and they make a mold of your foot. They then send the mold to a lab to have the orthotic made. The orthotic fits inside your shoe. The doctor may suggest a certain type of shoe you should wear.
While you are heeling the doctor will ask you to use an icepack on the painful area. They may prescribe painkillers to you in the beginning or give you an anti-inflammatory medication to help you.
Your doctor can give you much more information about heel pain and the treatment options.