Heel Pain Specialist

What causes heel pain?

Heel pain can occur for a number of different reasons, including:

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis affects about two million Americans every year, making it the most common cause of heel pain. It occurs when the ligament that connects your heel and toes grow severely inflamed. That causes severe heel pain, particularly in the mornings. 

Heel spurs

Heel spurs are tiny hook-type bony growths that protrude up to half-an-inch from your heel. One in 10 plantar fasciitis sufferers also has a heel spur. But, if you have heel pain and suffer from both plantar fasciitis and a heel spur, plantar fasciitis is usually the cause. 

Achilles tendinitis

Achilles tendinitis is inflammation in the tendon that runs down the back of your leg. This tendon is crucial for normal foot motion, and when it’s damaged, you can have severe pain in the back part of your heel. 

Some other possible reasons for heel pain can include Sever’s disease, arthritis, Haglund’s deformity (pump bump), heel bursitis, and many others. Michigan Foot & Ankle Institute, PC, can find the source of your heel pain and help you recover.

When should I see a doctor about heel pain?

If your heel pain lingers for more than a few days, or if it’s preventing you from your normal activities, it’s time to get help. 

Some kinds of heel pain, including plantar fasciitis, occur sporadically. With plantar fasciitis, you usually have serious pain in the morning but feel better as the day goes on. But that doesn’t mean your pain’s gone for good.

In that case, your pain wanes because your plantar fascia stretches out as you move. Unfortunately, the pain almost always returns the next morning — and this cycle goes on until you get treatment. 

With many forms of heel pain, for example, Achilles tendinitis, you can greatly worsen the problem if you don’t get treatment. With Achilles tendinitis, repeated pressure on your tendon can lead to rupture, a far more complicated and painful medical problem.

How do you treat heel pain?

Michigan Foot & Ankle Institute, PC, creates individualized treatment plans for heel pain. After diagnosing the root cause of your heel pain, your podiatrist may prescribe one or more of the following treatments:

• Custom orthotics
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Special stretching exercises
• Immobilization with a brace, splint, or boot
• Overnight splinting (night splint)
• Steroid injections 
• Extracorporeal shockwave therapy

If you have serious tissue or bone damage within your heel, you might need surgery. The skilled foot and ankle surgeons at Michigan Foot & Ankle Institute, PC, use the latest techniques, including arthroscopy and endoscopy, for minimally invasive procedures. 

Help for heel pain is only a call or click away. Reach out to Michigan Foot & Ankle Institute, PC, by phone or book online today.