Your feet endure a lot of stress on a daily basis. Though designed to support your body weight during mobility, you may develop heel pain when placing too much pressure on the soft tissue at the back of your feet. Heel pain may have many causes. At Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Associates in Edmond, Oklahoma, Joel Davis, MD, and the team specialize in diagnosing and treating all types of heel pain. Don’t let your heel pain keep you from doing what you love; call the office or schedule a consultation online today.
Heel pain refers to any discomfort involving the back portion of your foot, also known as your hindfoot. You may only feel heel pain when you first wake up in the morning or anytime you put pressure on your heel.
Though heel pain is rarely a sign of a serious foot problem, the discomfort may affect your daily routine. If you have heel pain, the team at Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Associates can provide the care you need.
You may develop heel pain from any number of causes. The most common include:
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It’s an inflammation of your plantar fascia, which is the bowstring-like tissue connecting your toes to your heel on the bottom of your foot.
Excess stress on your plantar fascia creates tiny tears in the tissue that leads to inflammation and pain.
Heel spurs are calcium deposits that form on the back of your heel where the plantar fascia connects to your heel bone.
A stone bruise is a bruise affecting the fat pad on your heel. Stepping on a stone or hard object may cause this type of bruise, resulting in pain.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis causes pain behind your heel, where the Achilles tendon connects to your heel bone.
Inflammation of your Achilles tendon may also cause heel pain.
A tarsal coalition is an abnormal connection of two or more bones in the back of your foot.
When you visit Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Associates, the team conducts a thorough exam to determine the underlying cause of your heel pain.
They ask detailed questions about your symptoms, including the type and location of your pain and the activities making your pain worse or better. Then, they examine your feet and run X-rays to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
The Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Associates team customizes your heel pain treatment plan based on your diagnosis. When possible, they take a conservative approach to care. Your treatment plan may include:
Most cases of heel pain resolve over time with conservative care. However, when surgery is needed, the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Associates team uses the most advanced surgical tools and techniques, so you get the best outcomes.
Find out what’s causing your heel pain by calling Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Associates or schedule a consultation online today.
