Heel Pain

Pain in the heel is another common cause of foot pain. This is largely attributable to contemporary developments in society. Because people are more exercise-minded today than ever before, they spend increasing amounts of time engaged in athletic pursuits that place stress on their feet. This stress tends to magnify existing misalignments of the feet, particularly if improperly fitting shoes are added to the mix. The behaviour of walking bare feet on hard, flat man made surfaces, including carpeted wooden floors, may also contribute to this common foot disorder.
 

Causes of Heel Pain

Physicians use two largely interchangeable names in diagnosing chronic pain of the heel: plantar fasciitis or post-static dyskinesia.

There are many structures that attach to the calcaneus - the heel bone. The two structures primarily associated with heel pain are the plantar fascia, the band of connective tissue along the bottom of the foot that supports the arch, and a muscle known as the flexor digitorum brevis. Typically, in walking, the arch starts to flatten as the foot absorbs the weight of the body, and these structures work to maintain the arch and stabilize the foot. Normally, they accomplish this effortlessly. However, with today's push toward exercise and jobs where people spend more time on their feet, these structures often are stretched and abused beyond their limits. This stretching can lead to muscle tears and bone spurs.

Bone spurs of the heel occur when tension on fascia, usually the plantar aponeurosis, pulls a piece of bone away from the point where it anchors to the calcaneus. A bone spur on the calcaneus usually appears on an X-ray as a fishhook-shaped structure. This sharp-edged deformity tends to irritate the nerves in the heel and, combined with the strained fascia and flexor muscle, causes heel pain.

Bad shoes further exacerbate the problem. Many people who have walked all day at work in new or ill-fitting shoes say the bottoms of their heels hurt the next day. Others who buy inexpensive running shoes find themselves in pain for weeks after a single run. This also is true of other types of sport shoes. Walking 18 holes in improper golf shoes can certainly cause heel pain. Please note that this does not mean that a $250.00 pair of sneakers is automatically better than a pair that costs $80.00.

What counts is the fit.

Sneakers and sport shoes should fit properly and have plenty of cushioning to absorb shock. Furthermore, they provide support. The shoe industry produces different types of shoes for all types of sports. This is more than a marketing gimmick. Certain sports, like tennis, demand shoes that provide lateral support; others, like cross-training, need shoes with a softer sole that will conform to irregular terrain.
 

Symptoms

The classic symptom of post-static dyskinesia is heel pain early in the morning that subsides as the day goes on. This occurs because the muscles are tight in the morning, which tends to accentuate the strain on the flexor muscle and, if present, bone spurs. As the day progresses, the muscles become stretched and the pain subsides. This phenomenon gives the condition its name, literally "pain after rest".
If you suffer from heel pain you may like to try one of our orthotic products.

What can I do for this?

Rest and activity modification
This gives the tissue time to repair. Avoid high impact to the heel.Try swimming, cycling & deep pool running as alternative sports.

Ice
Apply ice to the area for 3 - 5 minutes daily. Use a bottle of frozen water or bag of frozen peas to apply.

Deep tissue massage
Massage the fascia with your hand or by rolling a coke bottle underneath the foot. This is a good activity to perform in the morning before getting out of bed and standing up.

Calf muscle and fascia streching
Place a towel under the foot while seated and gently pull on the towel to dorsiflex the foot.

Footwear alteration
Alterations to, or replacement of, footwear may be required.

Anti-inflammatory drugs
Such drugs need to be prescribed by your GP. These assist in short-term relief but to be effective in the long-term, must be used in conjunction with other treatments.

Strapping & Padding
Heel cushions, donut pads, strapping or insoles may be of benefit in relieving the tension on the fascia. If deemed of value in your case, further instructions will be given.

Other long term options?

Custom-made orthotic insoles
The manufacture of these insoles is dependant upon the success of temporary padding & strapping.

Weight loss
Since the force of the body contributes to the tension on the fascia, loss of weight can be of some benefit in relieving the pain.

Surgery
Plantar fascia release or heelspur removal may give relief to those patients for whom non-surgical means of relief were insufficient

For further advise please contact one of our professional team here  or give us a call, our number is listed on the Contact page.