What is Heel Pain?
Heel pain is a common occurrence. Especially when you are on your feet for an extended period or wear improper shoes. You do not have to experience an injury for heel pain to be present. It can often start as discomfort and become severe without proper treatment. If you experience any pain under or behind your heel, there is a list of things that could be causing these symptoms. In this blog, we will be discussing various types of heel pain and their causes.
Aside from unexpected injury, heel pain can be caused by a multitude of reasons. According to Better Health Channel online, some groups may experience heel pain more than others. These groups include people suffering from obesity, middle-aged, active people/ athletes, adolescent children, and pregnant women. Even if you do not fit within this demographic, that doesn’t mean you will never experience any heel pain or discomfort. Below is a list of the different causes of heel pain and accompanying symptoms.
Types of Heel Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis: A plantar fascia is a group of ligaments that connect the heel to your foot, these ligaments suffer a lot of damage over one’s lifetime. Due to this, it is often said to be the most common type of heel pain, plantar fasciitis occurs when an excess amount of pressure is applied to the foot and “damages the plantar fascia ligament, causing pain and stiffness” (Healthline, 2019).
- Calcaneal Apophysitis: This is most common among growing children, “It is an inflammation of the growth plate in the calcaneus (heel)” (Orthoinfo). Calcaneal Apophysitis is a type of heel pain that is caused by damage to the foot. The reason it is seen more commonly with adolescents is that they experience growth spurts where their tendons experience growth and movement.
- Calcaneal Spur: Also referred to as a Heel Spur, a calcaneal spur is a growth that occurs underneath the heel bone. The growth itself is also bone-like. Bone spurs are typically seen in those who are overweight, overuse their feet, wear ill-fitting footwear, and have endured an injury. This condition can only be diagnosed through x-ray scans. (Sydney Foot Surgery).
These conditions are some of the more common reasons behind heel pain. As stated earlier, heel pain can be caused by several reasons. From being overweight to over-working your feet, heel pain is common, and it is treatable. If you are experiencing heel pain, it is important to see your podiatrist to prevent further damage and pain. If you endure heel pain or would like to prevent heel pain, schedule an appointment HERE with a local podiatrist, Dr. Ankush Madan today!
This blog post is brought to you by Best Foot Forward podiatry practice.
Sources:
Foot problems – heel pain – Better Health Channel
Heel Pain: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention (healthline.com)
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240819.php
Heel Spur Pain (sydneyfootsurgery.com.au)
Sever’s Disease (Heel Pain) – OrthoInfo – AAOS