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Treatments

Heel Pain

Do you have an uncomfortable ache in your heel after a long day? Are you unable to exercise due to heel pain? If you are experiencing unpleasant symptoms, it is best to seek treatment for heel pain. While some aches can go away on their own, lingering heel pain need the processional attention from a Chiropodist.

What is Heel Pain?

Heel pain is described as any type of pain coming from the back bottom or sides of the heels.

When you are walking or undertaking any type of physical exercise, you are putting pressure on your heels. This is a part of your foot that is expected to carry the weight of your body when you move. When you are experiencing heel pain, this can affect your quality of life. In particular, your mobility can be restricted.

Heel pain is common and it has the ability to affect anyone of any age. But popular age groups include those that are over 40, athletes and those that are overweight. There are several types of heel pain you can experience and they can cause different symptoms to occur:

Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common types of heel pain is known as plantar fasciitis. This occurs when you have damage to the plantar fascia at its insertion into the heel bone. A lot of people experience this type of discomfort after long periods of exercise or standing. It commonly occurs suddenly and for unknown reasons.

Heel Bursitis

If you are experiencing pain in the middle of the heel, this may be caused by heel bursitis. This is a condition where the burse becomes inflamed. Often, this happens due to trauma, such as falling from a height and landing on your feet.

Heel Bumps

Do you have hard bumps on the back of your heels? This typically occurs in skaters and hockey players. Most of the time these bumps do not cause any pain.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

When the tibial nerve is compressed, this can cause pain in the heel. This is called tarsal tunnel syndrome and you can also experience loss of sensation, burning and tingling in the foot. Often, the test can be tapping on the nerve located behind the ankle bone. If you have any of these symptoms when you do this, you may have tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Heel Pad Inflammation

The heel pad can become inflamed by an accident that strikes the foot or over time as the heel pad is reduced. This can lead to discomfort and a dull ache, which will get worse as the day progresses and with more movement.

What Treatments are Available for Heel Pain?

Because heel pain is often chronic in nature it is important to seek help from your Chiropodist if the pain is ongoing after that a few weeks.

A thorough examination will allow the Chiropodist to come up a proper diagnosis. Since there are many causes of heel pain the Chiropodist will need to find the right one in order to prepare the beset treatment plan for you and relieve your symptoms. Some possible treatment options that can help to reduce pain and improve mobility include: home physical therapy, padding, and orthotics

Treatments

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