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Easing heel pain
Considering just how often we are on our feet, it's small wonder our heels are prone to all types of pain. But don't just sit on ,it-get up and get your heel pain diagnosed and treated.
Your heel pain may have started days, weeks or even months ago. At first, you may have felt a dull ache that didn't last.
But now, you may feel intense pain every day.
For some people, heel pain worsens as the day goes on. For others, it's a sharp jab that strikes every time the heel touches the ground.
Heel pain may be the worst when you get out of bed in the morning, causing you to hobble for a few steps or a few minutes. In any case, heel pain can make standing or walking unbearable.
Heel pain is a common problem that troubles people of all age.
It can be caused by the way your feet move, or by the way your legs and feet are built.
It can also result from an injury or a medical problem that affects your entire body. For many people, heel pain is part of aging.
It shows up after your feet have supported you through the years of daily wear and tear.ANATOMY OF THE FOOTSTEP
Your foot is made up of many parts that work together to support your body and carry its weight. Many of these parts come together at your heel-the intersection of the ankle and foot. When your heel guides the movement of these parts correctly, you can stand, walk, run and jump without pain.
Each part of your foot plays a role in supporting you. Together, these parts form a working system that results in movement.
• Bones form the framework that gives your feet shape.
• Joints are the meeting points between bones that allow your feet to bend and move.
• Muscles are bundles of fibers that power movement.
• Tendons are cords of tissue that attached muscle to bone.
• Ligaments are simi lar to tendons and hold--bones together, forming joints.
• Nerves relay signals between your brain and your feet.
• Bursas are sacs filled with fluid that help reduce friction.
As you walk, your heel moves, changing the tension on ligaments and tendons. With the proper heel movement, walking is easy.
As your foot hits the ground, the tissues are relaxed and impact is absorbed. As the tissues tighten, they pull on bones and joints, locking the working parts of your feet into the heel-off position.
ANKLEE-RELATED PROBLEMS
Ligament and tendons (Examples : plantar fasciitis, tendinitis)
If your heel moves too much or too little, it can cause other parts of your foot to function incorrectly. Over time, stress from poor foot function can stretch or tear the ligaments or tendons in your heel. In some people, the constant demands of daiIy use are enough to weaken these tissues. Other factors include being overweight, and a direct blow or sudden twist.
Bone (heel spurs, Sever's disease, Haglund's deformity- stressfracture)
When incorrect heel movement strains tissue, it also increases stress on the bones in your heel and ankle. Over time, excess strain may change the structure of your foot, causing damage and heel pain. In addition, injury from a di rect blow or the effects of arthritis can damage bones (and joints), causing pain.
Nerves (tarsal tunnel syndrome, plantar nerve entrapment low back problems)
Nerves are bundles of special fibers that act like electric wires, passing signals between your brain and your feet. When a nerve is pinched by inflamed tissue or a swollen vein, some or all of the signals cannot travel their complete route. As a result, you may feel pain, numbness or tingling in your heel. Even a nerve pinched in your back may send abnormal signals (referred pain) to your heel.
MEDICAL EVALUATION
To find the root of your problem, your doctor will ask about your medical history while examining your feet. Your answers offer clues to the cause of your heel pain.
If you've had similar pain before or if another part of your body also hurts, tell your doctor.
Many causes of heel pain produce similar symptoms, so you may have special tests to confi rm diagnosis, such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) and computerized tomography (CT).
Once the underlying problem is identified, your doctor will develop a treatment plan that may consist of the following:
- Immediate care to relieve symptoms
- Specific treatment for the cause of your pain
- Preventive care to help keep your problem from recurring
TREATING HEEL PAIN
Depending on your problem, your doctor may recommend one or more types of the following treatments:
Your doctor may suggest certain medications to control pain, such as COX-2 specific inhibitor (celecoxib, for instance). In prescription dosages, these medications can provide effective pain control and reduce inflammation, but with fewer astrointestinal side effects.
Physical therapy
Your docctor may recommend ultrasound, deep heat or water therapy. These forms of physical therapy all increase circulation and aid in healing bone, joint and tissue problems. Exercises to stretch and strengthen the tissues in your feet may also be helpful.
Strapping
Straps of tape can be applied to reduce the pull on tissues and help support bones and joints. Strapping may improve foot function, thereby reducing pain and swelling. You can also check with a podiatrist (a foot care special ist) to determine if wearing custommade shoe inserts (orthoses) can be helpful. For some people with movement problems or uneven leg length, orthoses provide the most lasting results.
Foot gear
Wearing footgear that meets your needs can improve the way your feet feel. Shoeswith laces, such as running shoes, provide some side-to-side support. Pumps or cowboy boots take stress off the Achilles tendon, reducing the pull on your heel bone.
To increase bone and joint support, try footgear with a rigid arch, such as a walking shoe.
In some cases, surgery offers the best solution. Surgery may be suggested to release
tight ligaments or pinched nerves.
It may also be performed to smooth sections of bone.
Most surgery is done in a hospital or surgery center on an outpatient basis. Before scheduling a surgical procedure, ask your doctor about the risks and benefits treatment.
