Did you know that your heel is the largest bone in the foot? When people injure or overuse their heel, it can lead to heel pain. This can vary from mild pain to disabling pain. In such a case it may be necessary to have your physician, or a podiatrist diagnose the reason if home remedies no longer helps in easing the pain.
Regular Causes For Heel Pain
There are various causes that lead to heel pain:
Strains or Sprains–these are injuries that happen to the body often due to physical activity. Such injuries happen regularly and can be classified as mild or severe, contingent on the incident.
Achilles Tendonitis – this condition happens as a result of the tendon which attaches the heel to your calf muscles get’s inflamed or painful as a result of overuse.
Plantar Fasciitis – when too much pressure is placed on the feet and end up damaging the plantar fascia ligament which leads to stiffness and pain.
Ankylosing Spondylitis – this condition is a form of arthritis which mainly affects the spine. It results in severe inflammation in the vertebrae that can eventually result in disability as well as chronic pain.
Fracture – fractures are broken bones and are typically viewed as medical emergencies. Urgent medical care is usually required.
Bursitis – bursae are sacs filled with fluid around the joints which surround the areas where skin, tendons and muscle tissues meet the bones.
Reactive arthritis – this happens when an infection causes this form of arthritis. No matter what the cause, be sure to check out this heel pain Brisbane agency with over fifteen years’ experience with treating heel pain.
Osteochondrosis – this disorder has a direct affect on bone growth in both adolescents and children.
When must you contact your physician?
Once you’ve developed heel pain, you might first give home remedies a try that include rest for providing relief of the symptoms.However, if the pain is persistent and still present after about two or three weeks, it’s time to book an appointment with your physician.
Call the doctor as soon as you experience any of these symptoms:
- Severe pain
- Abrupt pain
- Signs of redness in the heel
- Swelling in the heel
- You’re unable to walk due to the pain you have in your heel
How is heel pain treated?
There are various methods you can attempt at home to try and relief the discomfort:
- Rest whenever you can.
- Put ice on the heel for ten to fifteen minutes twice daily.
- Buy over-the-counter pain meds.
- Wear comfortable shoes that fits appropriately.
- Wear a special device, called a night splint that stretches your foot while you’re sleeping.
- Use shoe inserts or heel lifts to lower the pain.
If the home remedies don’t do anything for easing the pain, you must see your physician. He can perform a physical examination and obtain more information about when the pain started and your symptoms. He might also take an X-ray to evaluate the cause for the heel pain. Once they’ve established the root of what is causing the pain, they can offer the proper treatment. Sometimes physical therapy is prescribed to help strengthen the tendons and muscles in your foot.