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St. Louis, MO Heel Pain Treatment
The most common form of heel pain is caused by heel spurs on the bottom of the heel. It tends to occur for no apparent reason and is often worse when placing weight on the foot. Patients often complain of heel pain in the morning or when standing up after sitting for a long time. The pain can be a sharp, searing pain or present as a tearing feeling in the bottom of the heel. As the condition progresses there may be a throbbing pain after getting off your feet or there may be soreness that radiates up the back of the leg. Pain may also radiate into the arch of the foot.
If you suffer from the symptoms associated with Heel Pain, contact Missouri Foot & Ankle today to see how we can help!
What Causes Heel Pain?
To understand the cause of the pain one must understand the anatomy of the foot and some basic mechanics in the function of the foot. A thick ligament, called the plantar fascia, is attached into the bottom of the heel and fans out into the ball of the foot, attaching into the base of the toes. The plantar fascia is made of dense, fibrous connective tissue that will stretch very little. It acts something like a shock absorber. As the foot impacts the ground with each step, it flattens out lengthening the foot. This action pulls on the plantar fascia, which stretches slightly. When the heel comes off the ground the tension on the ligament is released.
Anything that causes the foot to flatten excessively will cause the plantar fascia to stretch more than it usually does. This can cause the development of small tears where the ligament attaches into the heel bone. When these small tears occur, a very small amount of bleeding occurs and the tension of the plantar fascia on the heel bone produces a spur on the bottom of the heel to form. Pain experienced in the bottom of the heel is not produced by the presence of the spur. The pain is due to excessive tension of the plantar fascia as it tears from its attachment into the heel bone. Heel spur formation is secondary to the excessive pull of the plantar fascia where it attaches to the heel bone. Many people have heel spurs at the attachment of the plantar fascia with out having any symptoms or pain. There are some less common causes of heel pain but they are relatively uncommon.
There are several factors that cause the foot to flatten and excessively stretching the plantar fascia. The primary factor is the structure of a joint complex below the ankle joint, called the subtalar joint. The movement of this joint complex causes the arch of the foot to flatten and to heighten. Flattening of the arch of the foot is termed pronation and heightening of the arch is called supination. If there is excessive pronation of the foot during walking and standing, the plantar fascia is strained. Over time, this will cause a weakening of the ligament where it attaches into the heel bone, causing pain. When a person is at rest and off of their feet, the plantar fascia attempts to mend itself. Then, with the first few steps the fascia re-tears, causing pain. Generally, after the first few steps the pain diminishes. This is why the heel pain tends to be worse with the first few steps in the morning or after rest.
Another factor that contributes to the flattening of the arch of the foot is tightness of the calf muscles. The calf muscle attaches into the foot by the achilles tendon into the back of the heel. When the calf muscle is tight it limits the movement of the ankle joint. When ankle joint motion is limited by the tightness of the calf muscle it forces the subtalar joint to pronate excessively. Excessive subtalar joint pronation can cause several different problems to occur in the foot. In this instance, it results in excessive tension of the plantar fascia. Tightness of the calf muscles can be a result of several different factors. Exercise, such as walking or jogging will cause the calf muscle to tighten. Inactivity or prolonged rest will also cause the calf muscle to tighten. Women who wear high heels and men who wear western style cowboy boots will, over time, develop tightness in the calf muscles.
When To See A Podiatrist
The diagnosis of heel pain and heel spurs is made by a thorough history of the course of the condition and by physical exam. Podiatrists will often use x-rays, as they are useful in determining if a heel spur is present and to rule out rare causes of heel pain such as a stress fracture of the heel bone, the presence of bone tumors or evidence of soft tissue damage caused by certain connective tissue disorders.
Heel Pain Treatments Available
If you experience any type of heel pain, you should always consult with an experienced heel pain doctor first. To help alleviate pain, you can try stretching your calf muscles and using heel cushions. Other treatments include continued calf muscle stretching exercises, a night splint, cortisone injections, and/or orthopedic taping to support the arch.
When regular heal pain treatment does not help, functional foot orthotics might be considered. A functional orthotic is a device that is prescribed and fitted by your foot doctor, which fits in normal shoes like an arch support. Unlike an arch support however, the orthotic corrects abnormal pronation of the subtalar joint. Thus, orthotics address the cause of the heel pain and abnormal pronation of the foot. Surgery to correct heel pain is generally only recommended if orthotic treatment has failed.
There are some exceptions to this course of treatment and it is up to you and your foot doctor to determine the most appropriate course of treatment. Following surgical treatment to correct heel pain the patient will generally have to continue the use of orthotics. The surgery does not correct the cause of the heel pain. The surgery will eliminate the pain but the process that caused the pain will continue without the use of orthotics. If orthotics have been prescribed prior to surgery they generally do not have to be remade.
For treatment of heel pain and heel spurs, contact Missouri Foot & Ankle today!