Heel Pain Specialist

What causes heel pain?

Heel pain can occur in the bottom of your foot, the back of the ankle, and anywhere in-between. There are also many different possible causes for heel pain, including: 

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury to the ligament on the bottom of your foot. It causes sharp heel pain, starting from the bottom back of your foot.

Fractures

Fractures in the calcaneus (heel bone) can cause severe heel pain, and in severe cases, mobility issues. 

Achilles tendinitis

Achilles tendinitis affects the tendon that tucks into your heel. This condition causes serious inflammation within the tendon, often leading to serious heel pain in the back of the heel. 

Bursitis

Bursitis occurs when the retrocalcaneal bursa — the small sac that sits between your calcaneus and Achilles tendon — grows inflamed. This inflammation causes pain in the back of your heel. 

Haglund's deformity

Haglund's deformity is a bony protrusion in the back of the heel. It can cause pain in the back of your heel. It often occurs in women who wear high heels frequently.

Sever’s disease

Sever's disease is a condition that primarily affects children and young teenagers. In this condition, the Achilles tendon pulls too hard on the growth plate (the cartilage area where bone develops as a child grows) on the bottom of the heel. 

There are many other issues that may lead to heel pain — even the way you walk can cause heel pain. For example, if your foot rolls inward and your arch flattens as you walk (excessive pronation), this can create tension that leads to heel pain. 

When should I seek help for heel pain?

Some cases of mild heel pain could get better with a few days of rest, over-the-counter medication, and ice packs at home. But, if your heel pain is very intense, grows worse and worse, or causes difficulty walking and functioning, it's time to call Gentle Foot and Ankle Care. 

How is heel pain treated?

The expert podiatrists at Gentle Foot and Ankle Care recognize that every case of heel pain is different, so they start with a physical exam and imaging tests to look for issues inside your foot and ankle. 

After determining the cause of your heel pain, the team may prescribe special foot exercises, custom orthotic devices, and other simple conservative measures. During your treatment, you'll typically have to modify your activities temporarily to allow for full healing. 

In more severe cases of heel pain, you may need treatments like extracorporeal shockwave therapy, a non-invasive treatment that starts your body's injury response around the area of damaged tissue to stimulate healing and ease pain.

Although it's uncommon, some cases of heel pain require surgery. The board-certified foot and ankle surgeons at Gentle Foot and Ankle Care use advanced methods of minimally invasive surgery to give you long-lasting benefits.

Book your appointment by calling Gentle Foot and Ankle Care or scheduling online.