Heel Pain: Causes & Treatments

 

  

 

Today we're going to be talking about heel pain, and more specifically, plantar fasciitis, which is one of the most common causes of heel pain.

Plantar fasciitis is often caused by a foot that over pronates. And what over-pronation means is that when you walk, your foot flattens out excessively and rolls inward; this causes the ligament that connects the ball of your foot to your heel bone -- also known as the plantar fascia, to get over-stretched. When it gets over-stretched, it tugs on your heel bone, becomes inflamed, and then becomes very painful.

The good news with plantar fasciitis is, that most of the time, you don't need surgery for this. Here at The Foot & Ankle Center, we have a 95 percent success rate in getting rid of plantar fasciitis with just conservative treatment. We use things like cold therapy, stretching exercises, anti-inflammatories, often we'll give you a splint that you can wear in the evening that keeps the ligament stretched out. Also, foot orthotics are very important. A foot orthotic will support your foot in a more normal alignment so it stops damaging that plantar fascia.

So, if you have heel pain, I really would encourage you to contact us. Just give us a call at 804-320-FOOT or make an appointment today!