Find out why heel pain happens and how to handle the issue when it arises.

Many athletes, particularly runners, will deal with heel pain at some point during their lifetime. We understand just how much of a nuisance it can be and just how much it can affect your day-to-day life. Our podiatrist Dr. Corinne Kauderer at Dyker Heights Advanced Foot and Wellness Center in Brooklyn, NY is here to tell you more about heel pain and the many ways in which you can address the problem.

Causes of Heel Pain

Before we can treat the problem, our Dyker Heights podiatrist Dr. Kauderer needs to first figure out what’s going on. The most common cause of heel pain is an inflammatory condition known as plantar fasciitis. This is when the plantar fascia tissue becomes inflamed, often as a result of overuse. These symptoms may appear gradually and it’s usually characterized by heel pain that radiates to the arches and is often worse in the morning.

Other causes of heel pain include:

• Achilles tendonitis: characterized by pain behind the heel
• Heel bursitis: characterized by pain behind the heel or deep inside the heel (pain usually gets worse throughout the day rather than better)
• Stress fracture: common in runners and those in contact sports

Treating Your Heel Pain

Once we examine your feet and determine what’s causing it, we will be able to create a customized treatment plan that will help speed up the healing process and also help you manage your symptoms as the problem heals. In some cases, heel pain can be managed with simple at-home measures such as:

• Rest: Stay off your feet and rest as much as possible. Avoid strenuous exercise.
• At home exercises: Such as rolling your foot on a tennis ball and stretching
• Custom orthotics: Shoe inserts made by a podiatrist can reduce pain and provide your feet with support.
• A night splint: This device can stretch out the foot while you sleep to reduce pain in the affected tissue.

If these treatment options don’t improve your symptoms than other measures may include extracorporeal pulse activation treatment (EPAT).

Here at Dyker Heights Advanced Foot and Wellness Center in Brooklyn, NY, your foot health is paramount. If you are dealing with heel pain that isn’t responding to at-home care or is severe, it’s important that you give us a call right away.