3 Causes of Intense Heel Pain
Your heel bone is the largest in your foot, and it forms the structure that helps create your arch.
A frequent cause of intense heel pain is a heel fracture. This debilitating injury often occurs without warning when landing hard on your heel during work, sports, and exercise activities.
Your heel can also suffer from radiating pain from other areas of the foot, so make sure to see your foot doctor for the proper treatment of intense heel pain.
Three other possible causes of intense heel pain include the following:
1) Plantar fasciitis—This common cause of heel pain begins by adversely affecting the band of fibrous arch tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. When this tissue becomes damaged and swollen, the pain often radiates to the heel area.
2) Haglund’s deformity— Often referred to as “pump bump” it is caused by tight-fitting shoes like high heels. It is characterized by a bony growth that appears on the back of the heel. While not always painful in the beginning, as the bump grows, it can rub on your footwear, causing considerable discomfort. Surgical removal may be necessary.
3) Achilles tendonitis—This large tendon makes the connection between your heel bone and your calf muscle, allowing your foot to move. The tendon is attached to your heel bone at an insertion point. Stress and pressure can cause damage to the tendon and intense heel pain.
Fortunately, your foot doctor has a wide variety of methods for treating the many causes of heel pain, including cutting-edge Radial Pulse Therapy (RPT).
If you are experiencing intense heel pain, see your foot doctor for the correct diagnosis and proper treatment. The foot experts at Desert Podiatric Medical Specialists, in the Tucson, Oro Valley, and Green Valley areas of Pima County, Arizona, have unparalleled experience in treating all aspects of foot and ankle care. Our team of doctors: Christopher M. Funk, D.P.M., FACFAS, Bradley A. Whitaker, D.P.M., FACFAS, and Peter C. Merrill, D.P.M., AACFAS, is dedicated to serving you with state-of-the-art, cutting edge medical technologies including the PinPointe FootLaser, custom-fitted orthotics, and Radial Pulse Therapy (RPT) for chronic foot, heel, or ankle pain. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please call (520) 575-0800.
