Heel Pain

Feet are the best natural transportation provided by God. Funny but true! They help in walking, running, jumping, playing, etc. But most of us might have experienced heel pain. The reason behind this are many, but the most common reason for heel pain is the plantar fasciitis. Our foot has 26 bones, 33 joints more than 100 muscles and tendons and a network of many blood vessels, nerves and soft tissue. These all combine and enable our foot to balance, and support the movements of our body. It gives mobility which is the most important among all. 80% of the body weight is taken care by the arch area and rest 20% is managed by rest of the muscles and tendons. Heel is the first to make you walk and stand as heel bone is the largest bone in the foot.

Causes of Heel Pain
The causes of pain in the heel of foot are as follows:

• The most common heel pain cause is the plantar fasciitis. It is the inflammation of the plantar fascia tissues which is present in the base of the foot and extends from toe to the heel. Pain in heel and arch of foot is very deeply connected as the people who have problems with the arches of the foot are mostly into this problem. Hence people with flat feet and over arched feet are more prone to have plantar fasciitis.
• Over weight people or obese people experience heel pain very frequently. This is because there is overload in the feet muscles which might result in inflamed muscles and tissues.
• Running long distance or on the hard surface like concrete, sudden regress exercise or physical activity etc. can also take you to burning pain in heel of foot.
• Sudden jerk, strain, turning with improper posture can also lead you to pain in foot.
• Injury to the heel which may result in tearing of muscles or tendons may also be one of the heel pain causes.
• Heel spur or excessive growth of the heel bone can also cause heel pain. Usually the bone grows towards the inner part of the heel bone. It is actually the over deposition of the calcium which further forms a bony structure. This makes the nearing tissues to tear and may result in tremendous pain.
• Shoes with low heels or bad supportive sole can also harm your heels. Therefore it is very necessary to have a proper shoe which a proper sole support.

Symptoms of Heel Pain
Following are some of the symptoms of heel pain.

• Sharp foot pain specially in the heel, like somebody poking with knife. It can become more worse if not paid attention in the initial stage.
• Pain increases in the morning when after a long rest you keep your foot on the ground and decreases when you walk for a while as the plantar fascia gets stretched.
• You may observe pain in the arch area and dull pain is always experienced on the foot.

Treatment for Heel Pain
Treatment for heel pain can be segregated into home treatments and medical treatments. Following are some of them.

Home Treatments
Following are some of the treatments which one can perform at home to get rid of the heel pain.

• Go for the exercises which include stretching of the calf muscles. This may give you relief naturally.
• Use ice therapy on the heel. Put ice for nearly 15-20 minutes on the heels daily for several times a day. Do not put ice directly on the skin use a towel or an ice bag. This will relax your inflamed muscles.
• Avoid being barefoot and try to limit any physical activity which includes heels. Give rest to your heels for some days.
• Wear shoes with a proper support. Check for the soles and go for the shoes which have slightly raised heels. This will reduce the pressure on the plantar fascia.

Medical Treatments
If you are not able to get relief from the home treatments and are suffering from the same intense pain then you should go for the medical treatments. Go to the doctor who may advice you some of the following treatments.

• Orthotic device is suggested to the patients which can be placed inside shoes. This can give you relief from the problems faced due to the plantar fasciitis.
• Corticosteroid injections are usually given by the doctors to give the patient relief from the pain.
• Some pain killers or anti-inflammatory drugs may also be suggested.
• Night splints are also considered very effective in curing heel pain.
• The last option to cure heel pain is the surgery. If none of the above options are helpful to you then your doctor may advice you to go for a surgery.

Although you have so many options for treating heel pain but still if you are thinking for a long term relief then it is not possible. Try to exercise daily and have proper supportive shoes. Heel pain can reappear and then disappear so the best option is to take preventive measures.