How To Stop Heel Pain

Heel pain may either be caused by being overweight or wearing the wrong shoes. This leads to a disabling condition called plantar fasciitis.

The bones of the feet are protected by dense fibrous tissue called plantar fascia which extends from the heel to the toes. This cushions the feet whenever we walk or put weight on them. If, for some reason, tears or inflammation develop in the heel pad due to constant tension from running, jogging or dancing, the planter nerve becomes irritated and in¬flamed. This is plantar fasciitis or the painful heel syndrome which is marked by mild to intense pain at the back of the foot, especially when weight is placed on the heel.

“Typically, young athletes complain of severe pain when they try to take their first steps in the morning, with the pain then decreasing with normal walking, but increasing with athletic endeavors, especially any running or jogging," according to Dr. Alan R. Figelman, a pediatrician who specializes in sports medicine, and Patrick Young, editor of Science News, in “Keeping Young Athletes Healthy: What Every Parent and Volunteer Coach Should Know.”

“This condition is terribly disabling because, to avoid pain, you'll probably try to walk on your toes - the best way to further tear the fascia and to increase your pain. In fact, victims of plantar fasciitis occasionally injure the ligament in the healthy foot while walk¬ing on their toes to avoid pain in the affected foot," added Dr. Timothy S. Shea, a popular podiatrist, and Joan K. Smith in “The Over Easy Foot Care Book.”

A number of conditions can increase your chances of suffering from plantar fasciitis. These include flat feet, running in a difficult manner and not using the right shoes.

"A tight Achilles tendon, flat feet, a high rigid arch in the foot, running uphill or on very soft terrain such as sand and a sudden increase in weight or training intensity all increase the risk of plantar fasciitis," Figelman and Young explained.

If the pain occurs even if weight is not placed on the heel, you could be suffering from a stress fracture, a common injury in runners or any sport where running is required.

Unlike a typical fracture where bone breaks from a physical force, a stress fracture results from the overuse or overstressing of normal bone which eventually damages the bone itself. This usually occurs with over-exercising or certain anatomic problems which make one susceptible to the problem.

“Typically, symptoms - pain and localized tenderness - come on gradually and worsen over two to three weeks. Players usually notice the pain initially after practice or play. Sometimes swelling arises at the fracture site, or the youngster will feel pain at the site when another place on the bone is struck. Anytime a young athlete complains of persistent, bone-related pain occurring during and after play or practice, a parent should consider a stress fracture as a possible explanation," Figelman and Young said.

For treatment, apply ice to the sore heel and massage the area. Aspirin and other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs can relieve pain and swelling. If not, the physician may inject your heel with cortisone as a last resort. The good thing about plantar fasciitis and stress fractures, however, is that they disappear with time and clear up with rest.

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