Pain beneath the heel bone is an extremely common and
debilitating condition. In our modern society, with its unyielding artificial
floors, occupations demanding long hours of standing, and shoes of ill-design,
it's no wonder that heel pain is one of the most common foot complaints.
There are many causes of heel pain including trauma, heel
spurs, heel tumors, bursitis, gout, arthritis, diabetes and strain due to
standing and walking improperly.
People with heel pain usually complain of a "stone
bruise." The most frequent symptom is that of "pain in the morning
with the first few steps." This is due to inflammation with swelling around
the ligament on the bottom of the heel. This inflammation may be due to any of the
causes mentioned above. The most common cause of this type of heel pain is
faulty foot function, which causes a rubbing or stretching of the ligaments.
This is referred to as “plantar fasciitis” or “heel spur syndrome.”
If you should be bothered by any or all of the symptoms
mentioned, the first step in treatment can be tried at home. Often, relief can
be attained by :
If these measures fail, it is time to consult your
podiatrist. A careful medical history, a complete clinical examination of your
feet, and sometimes x-rays are used to determine the cause and appropriate
treatment.
Treatment of the “heel-spur syndrome” -- or plantar
fasciitis is two-fold. First, the inflammation responsible for the discomfort
needs to be reduced, and secondly, the abnormal motion of the foot needs to be
controlled. Reduction of the inflammation can sometimes be accomplished simply
by reducing the amount of motion. This can be achieved temporarily with taping
or strapping the feet.
If symptoms resolve fairly quickly, then many times no
further treatment is needed unless there is another flare-up. Oral
anti-inflammatory medications often are helpful in reducing this inflammation
and occasionally an injection of local anesthesia and cortisone into the
inflamed area is needed to calm it down.
Controlling the abnormal motion is the key to preventing
reoccurrence of this syndrome, and the most effective means of doing this is
with the use of a custom-fitted orthotic device.
When the condition has existed so long that these methods
of treatment fail to resolve the symptoms, surgical treatment is sometimes
necessary to afford permanent relief. Fortunately on October 12, 2000, the US
Food & Drug Administration granted approval to market the OssaTron, a new
device that uses shock waves to treat chronic heel pain. This is a 15 minute
procedure that allows you to immediately walk in your regular shoes after the
procedure and has over a 70% success rate.
Can a podiatrist help your heel pain? We make it easy for you to find out. Here's how....
The physicians and staff of the A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Centers maintain two complete podiatric clinical facilities and provide 24-hour emergency service. We participate in most health plans including Blue Cross / Blue Shield, Medicare, and Medicaid. We complete and file all necessary insurance forms and make every effort to assure you of maximum benefits with minimum out-of-pocket expense.
You are invited to make an appointment today to relieve your foot problems by calling us at 970-493-4660 or 970-667-0769.
