D
oes your heel hurt? Unfortunately without consulting a medical practitioner – which you should always do when an everyday activity like walking becomes painful – it is difficult to say what the problem is and therefore what heel pain treatment is best for your condition.
The most common cause of heel or arch pain are definitely stone bruises. These are deep bruises that appear on the fat tissue of the heel after an injury such as stepping hard on something, and that feel as if you are walking with a pebble in your shoe. There is no need to worry though – stone bruises usually go away on their own. To speed recovery, however, you can rest your foot and use an ice pack.
Inflammation of the Foot
Just as common as stone bruises but more severe is plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tough tissue in your foot that connects your toes to your heel. This is a very common condition in athletes as it may be caused by an increase in exercise such as running, wearing wrong running shoes, running on steep terrain or bad posture when exercising. While the pain can be quite severe especially in the morning as soon as one gets out of bed, the treatment is quite simple: just use an ice pack or take over-the-counter painkillers to take the edge off, rest your foot, do foot and heel muscle stretches regularly, and wear more comfortable shoes in the future, with both a cushioned sole and good arch support.
Heel Spurs
Yet another possible cause of heel pain are heel spurs, abnormal bone growths on the back of your heel. This condition too is caused by a bad posture when exercising as well as from the wrong shoes. While lots of people have them and do not even realize it, for others this condition is quite painful both when walking and when standing and should therefore be treated as soon as possible. Rest your foot while at home but also ask for professional help and have a few physical therapy sessions. As for footwear, use either a cutout heel pad (you can find them in most shoe shops) or, if your heel spurs are particularly painful, wear a custom-made insert in your shoes and remember to choose footwear that fits well and that has shock-absorbing soles.
Heel fracture
Finally, your heel pain might be caused by a heel fracture occurred because of a car accident or simply a bad fall. As this is the most serious condition of all when it comes to heel pain, if you experience swelling and bruising in addition to pain you should definitely contact your doctor as soon as possible as he might recommend surgery to fix the bone. In the mean time do not put any weight on the injured foot – use crutches instead – and protect the heel from further injuries with pads.
While all of the above are good solutions for foot pain, they are to be considered as temporary, short-term remedies. Always talk to your doctor if the pain persists: he will help you find the best heel pain treatment suited to your needs.
[photo: www.seattleheelpain.com]
