Let the Healing Begin: How to Address Heel Pain

The good news about heel pain is that if it is addressed appropriately and with regularity it can be resolved within months. The first step in proper heel care is rest. Whenever possible do your best to avoid walking or standing for long periods of time. However, rest does not mean keeping your feet immobile. Stretching your feet  and calves is key to reducing heel issues, while simultaneously improving flexibility in the affected foot. While lying in your bed, loop a towel around the affected foot. Keeping your knee straight, pull back on your toes with the towel. Repeat three times on each foot even if the other is not causing you discomfort. To address your calves stand on a stair with your heels hanging of the step with feet slightly apart. You may want to hold the railing for support while lowering your heels until you feel your calves tighten, then hold for forty seconds. Repeat this stretch up to six times twice a day.

Reducing the inflammation in the affected heel will help to relieve pain. Taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen will aid in the reduction of both swelling and discomfort. If you would rather a non medicinal option try wrapping an ice pack in a towel before applying it to the affected area for five to ten minutes.

Additionally you should think about the type of footwear that you are choosing for your feet. Flat-soled shoes should be avoided as they offer no support and could potentially increase your already existing heel issues. Aim for footwear that allows for cushion below your heel and provides a fair amount of support to the arches of your feet. You may also wish to add orthoses to your shoes. These are insoles that fit inside your shoe to support your foot and allow your heel to recover.

If your heel pain persists for a number of weeks without improvement see a podiatrist for further consultation. They will be able to address your specific needs more accurately.

Treatment for Haglund's Deformity

Haglund’s deformity is a painful condition that can even affect the health of your Achilles tendon. If you suspect you may have Haglund’s deformity, schedule an appointment with Dr. Mark Forman, DPM in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Forman is committed to helping patients relieve their foot pain and get back to a healthy life.

Haglund’s deformity is a bump that forms on the back of the heel. A bony bump is often very painful, inflamed, and it can appear red. It is usually formed from wearing shoes that are too tight and stiff in the heel. High heels are common causes of Haglund’s deformity. When the enlarged heel bone rubs against shoes, the soft tissue at the back of the heel can become irritated, causing bursitis. This is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sac between the Achilles tendon and the heel bone.

There are many conservative approaches to treat Haglund’s deformity before surgery needs to be considered. Depending on your condition, Dr. Forman may utilize treatments like anti-inflammatories and ice, stretching, physical therapy, orthotics, and immobilization. The proper shoes will also need to be worn. For severe cases or cases where conservative methods do not work, surgery may be performed to remove the excess bone tissue.

If you suspect you may be developing Haglund’s deformity, do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with us. To schedule with Dr. Mark Forman, DPM in our Scottsdale, AZ office, call us at (480) 423-8400. More information about Dr. Forman and Haglund’s deformity can be found on our website, www.azfootpain.com. 

Heal the pain

If you run, walk, jump, skip, or hop, you are susceptible to heel pain. So, who’s not susceptible to the dreaded heel pain? Well, no one, really. Every mile you walk (or run, jump, skip, or hop) is putting tons and tons of stress on your feet and this stress can cause heel and ankle pain. Luckily, this rarely requires surgery and will get better on its own. However, it’s extremely important that if your heel hurts, make an appointment with Dr. Mark Forman at his Scottsdale office to determine the right path for recovery and whether you could possibly have Achilles Tendonitis or Plantar Fasciitis.

Achilles Tendonitis is exactly what it sounds like: inflammation of the achilles tendon, or the back of the heel. If you have heel pain that is the worst in the morning when you get out of bed of when you stand up after sitting for a prolonged period of time, you should make an appointment ASAP. If you do happen to have Achilles tendonitis, calf stretch, Heel cups/lifts, ice, night splint, physical therapy, activity modification will be your best bet to a speedy recovery. Of course, every case is different and Dr. Forman will tell you the method that would be best for you.

Now, if your pain stems from the sole of the foot (toward the heel end of the arch), you could have plantar fasciitis. Anyone can get plantar fasciitis, yet athletes are more likely to get it, as put more stress on their feet. The same treatments are applied to Plantar fasciitis as to achilles tendonitis. Plantar fasciitis tends to go away around 90% of the time, but this can take 12 to 18 months.

The morale of the story is this: if your heel is in pain, your best bet is to make an appointment with Dr. Forman so he can: 1) determine the source of the pain and 2) what you should do to get better as fast as possible.

Causes and Treatment for Heel Pain

Heel pain is generally the result of walking abnormalities that place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. Heel pain is an extremely common and potentially disruptive affliction that has many possible causes, including stress fractures, arthritis, nerve irritation, cysts, tendonitis and most often, plantar fasciitis. Fortunately, no matter what is causing your heel pain, our Dr. Mark Forman can treat it.

Heel pain is not usually caused by a single injury, such as a twist or a fall, but rather the result of repetitive stress and a pounding of the heel. Your feet can handle a heavy load, but too much stress pushes them over their limits. Heel pain is frequently triggered by wearing flat footwear because this type of footwear can stretch the plantar fascia to such an extent that the area becomes swollen (inflamed). When you continue to walk on a sore heel, it will only get worse and could become a chronic condition leading to more problems. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition, but methods may include resting from the activities that caused the problem, doing stretch exercises, using pain medication and wearing open-back shoes.

If you are experiencing heel pain, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the conditions we treat and the services we provide visitwww.azfootpain.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Mark Forman in Scottsdale, AZ, call 480-423-8400.