Heel Pain Treatment in Women
What is Heel Pain
Heel pain is a common foot condition. An estimated one in 10 people will have at least one episode of heel pain at some point in their life.
People who run or jog regularly, and older adults who are 40-60 years of age, are the two main groups affected by heel pain. Your foot and ankle are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 tendons. The heel is the largest bone in your foot.
If you overuse or injure your heel, you may experience heel pain. This can range from mild to disabling. It’s possible you’ll need to have a doctor or podiatrist diagnose the cause if simple home remedies don’t ease the pain.
Many conditions can cause pain in the heels, including: Plantar fasciitis, Achilles or flexor tendonitis/tendonosis, Bone spurs, Sever’s disease (mostly in children 8-14 years old), Bursitis, Stress fractures, Inflamed tendons
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Symptoms & Causes of Heal Pain
Symptoms Heel pain symptoms vary depending on the cause. In addition to pain, you may experience:
- Bony growth on the heel.
- Discoloration (bruising or redness).
- Stiffness.
- Swelling.
- Tenderness.
- Pain after standing from a resting/sitting position.
Causes Heel pain may occur due to a single injury, such as a twist or fall, or from repetitive stress and pounding of the heel.
Flat footwear may also stretch the plantar fascia until the area becomes swollen or inflamed, causing pain and discomfort.- Plantar fasciitis This is inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a strong, bowstring-like ligament that runs from the calcaneum, or heel bone, to the tip of the foot. This type of pain often results from a person’s foot anatomy. For example, if the arches are particularly high or low, this can lead to plantar fasciitis.
- Heel bursitis Inflammation can occur at the back of the heel, in the bursa, which is a fibrous sac full of fluid. This condition can result from landing awkwardly or hard on the heels or from pressure from footwear. A person may feel this pain deep inside the heel or at the back of the heel.
- Haglund’s deformity is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel. It occurs when footwear rubs against the back of the heel, irritating the bony enlargement and surrounding tissue. Hard-backed shoes and pumps can place pressure on the back of the heel, irritating the Haglund’s deformity. This is why people often refer to this condition as “pump bump.”
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome In tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS), tissue compresses the large nerve in the back of the foot, resulting in pain. This type of compression neuropathy can occur either in the ankle or foot.
- Stress Fracture Repetitive stress, strenuous exercise, sports, or heavy manual work can cause injury. For instance, runners are at a higher risk of a stress fracture in the metatarsal bones of the foot. Osteoporosis can also cause stress fractures.
- Sever’s disease This is the most common cause of heel pain in children and young adults. It results from overuse and repetitive microtrauma of the growth plates of the heel bone. Sever’s disease most commonly affects children aged 7–15 years.
- Achilles tendinitis occurs when the large tendon in the back of the heel becomes inflamed. Overuse and injury are the most common causes of Achilles tendinitis. People may also refer to tendinitis as tendinosis or tendinopathy.
Diagnosis of Heat Pain
Your healthcare provider will assess your symptoms and perform a physical exam. You may also get X-rays to check for arthritis, bone fractures, bone alignment and joint damage.
Rarely, you may need an MRI or ultrasound. These can show soft tissue problems which X-rays don’t reveal.
Treatment
Treatment for heel pain usually involves using a combination of techniques, such as stretches and painkillers, to relieve pain and speed up recovery.
If you’ve had persistent heel pain for a number of weeks and it hasn’t cleared up. They’ll be able to diagnose the problem and give you specific advice about a suitable exercise programme.
Most cases of heel pain get better within 12 months. Surgery may be recommended as a last resort if your symptoms don’t improve after this time. Only one in 20 people with heel pain will need surgery.
Rest
Rest the affected foot whenever possible. Avoid walking long distances and standing for long periods. However, you should regularly stretch your feet and calves using exercises such as those described below.
Pain relief
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can be used to help relieve pain.
Some people also find applying an ice pack to the affected heel for five to 10 minutes can help relieve pain and inflammation.
However, don’t apply the ice pack directly to your skin. Instead, wrap it in a towel. If you don’t have an ice pack, you can use a packet of frozen vegetables.
Exercise
Exercises designed to stretch both your calf muscles and your plantar fascia (the band of tissue that runs under the sole of your foot) should help relieve pain and improve flexibility in the affected foot.
A number of stretching exercises are described below. It’s usually recommended that you do the exercises on both legs, even if only one of your heels is affected by pain. This will improve your balance and stability as well as relieving your heel pain.
Towel stretches
Keep a long towel beside your bed. Before you get out of bed in the morning, loop the towel around your foot and use it to pull your toes towards your body, while keeping your knee straight. Repeat three times on each foot.
Wall stretches
Place both hands on a wall at shoulder height, with one of your feet in front of the other. The front foot should be about 30cm (12 inches) away from the wall.
With your front knee bent and your back leg straight, lean towards the wall until you feel a tightening in the calf muscles of your back leg. Then relax.
Repeat this exercise 10 times before switching legs and repeating the cycle. You should practise wall stretches twice a day.
Stair stretches
Stand on a step of your stairs facing upstairs, using the banister for support. Your feet should be slightly apart, with your heels hanging off the back of the step.
Lower your heels until you feel a tightening in your calves. Hold this position for about 40 seconds, before raising your heels back to the starting position. Repeat this procedure six times, at least twice a day.
Chair stretches
Sit on a chair, with your knees bent at right angles. Turn your feet sideways so your heels are touching and your toes are pointing in opposite directions. Lift the toes of the affected foot upwards, while keeping your heel firmly on the floor.
You should feel your calf muscles and Achilles tendon (the band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your calf muscle) tighten. Hold this position for several seconds and then relax. Repeat this procedure 10 times, five or six times a day.
Dynamic stretches
While seated, roll the arch of your foot (the curved bottom part of the foot between your toes and heel) over a round object, such as a rolling pin, tennis ball or drinks can. Some people find that using a chilled can from their fridge has the added benefit of helping to relieve pain.
Move your foot and ankle in all directions over the object for several minutes. Repeat the exercise twice a day.
Footwear
You should avoid wearing flat-soled shoes because they won’t provide your heel with support and could make your heel pain worse.
Ideally, you should wear shoes that cushion your heels and provide a good level of support to the arches of your feet.
For women, wearing high heels, and for men wearing heeled boots or brogues, can provide short- to medium-term pain relief. This is because they help reduce pressure on the heels.
However, these types of shoes may not be suitable in the long-term because they can lead to further episodes of heel pain.
Corticosteroid injections
If treatment hasn’t helped relieve your painful symptoms, may recommend corticosteroid injections.
Corticosteroids are a type of medication that has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. They have to be used sparingly because overuse can cause serious side effects, such as weight gain and high blood pressure (hypertension).
As a result, it’s usually recommended that no more than three corticosteroid injections are given within a year in any part of the body.
Before having a corticosteroid injection, a local anaesthetic may be used to numb your foot so you don’t feel any pain.