The heel is the largest bone in your foot and consists of hundreds of bones, muscles, and tendons. When you injure any portion of your heel, it can cause debilitating pain. At Diabetic Foot and Wound Center in Bakersfield, California, Ruben Nieto, DPM, and the team perform comprehensive diagnostics and treatments to effectively relieve chronic heel pain. If heel pain is stopping you from being active, call Diabetic Foot and Wound Center, or schedule an appointment online today. Same-day and next-day appointments are available, plus telehealth.
Heel pain can develop in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding your heel or in the bone itself. It connects your foot to your calf and helps support your weight when you stand, walk, or run.
While heel pain can happen to anyone, you’re especially likely to have it if you participate in activities that put pressure and force on your heels.
Depending on the reason behind your heel pain, you may experience:
Many runners and dancers notice worsening heel pain after a workout, so it’s important to let your feet rest and recover from overuse.
The most common causes of heel pain include:
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs from the bottom of your toes to your heel. Repetitive movements, such as running, can lead to inflammation in the plantar fascia, which causes painful heels and arches.
The Achilles tendon connects your heel to your calf. If it becomes inflamed or overused, you can experience severe pain in the back of your heel.
You can fracture or break your heel bone during an accident or sudden injury.
Haglund’s deformity is a painful bony bump that develops near the bottom of the Achilles tendon in your heel.
The best way to treat heel pain is to find out exactly what’s causing it with the help of the Diabetic Foot and Wound Center team. Most treatments involve repairing damage in your heel through a combination of rest, physical therapy, and stretching to strengthen the muscles in your foot and relieve pressure from your heel.
Custom-fit orthotics are inserts that fit perfectly inside your shoes to support and cushion your feet while you stand, walk, or exercise. A night splint can also help stretch your plantar fascia while you sleep if you have plantar fasciitis.
If non-surgical treatments don’t relieve your pain, the team can perform surgery, for example, on your plantar fascia to relieve pain and improve your mobility.
Don’t let heel pain stop you from enjoying your life. Call Diabetic Foot and Wound Center, or book an appointment online to learn more.
