Best Heel Pain Treatment Options

By Jane Rivero

Pain in the heel usually occurs due to excessive strain, or in certain cases, from a trauma to the heel. The first foot part that has interaction with the ground in the course of walking is the heel. It is the heel bone - or calcaneus - that is most disposed to stress when walking.

The structure in the foot that help stabilize the feet during walking are the foot arches, with the bone sin the midfoot compressed together with tendons and ligaments, and the muscle that is known as flexor digitorum brevis which holds up the arch. But when gait abnormalities cause the structures that are connected to the heel's bones to swell, become inflamed or tear, prolonged pain usually follows.

When the long and flat tissue along the bottom of the foot gets tears and becomes inflamed, it is termed plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a painful, serious and progressing condition that may lead to full ruptures in the plantar fascia tissue in its most serious cases. Heel pain treatment for plantar fasciitis is straightforward, and low cost in most cases, however heel pain treatment for plantar fasciitis can take a long time. It is not unusual for plantar fasciitis heel pain treatment to last for 6 months to a year.

Pain and inflammation of the Achilles tendon could also cause heel pain - specifically pain in the back of the heel. This is usually due to Achilles tendonitis and the most noticeable symptom is pain when walking or running.

Another cause of acute pain in the heel of the foot could be the presence of heel spurs. Heel spurs are spurs of bone laid down due to inflammation. They can easily affect your daily activities, since they can create aching pain with each step. A sharp poking pain is usually what characterizes the pain that comes from a heel spur under the heel. Heel spurs may not be painful at all however, and they may require no treatment plan at all.

There are numerous heel pain treatment methods, and as long as the pain is not too severe as to lead to debilitation, you may use only the conventional methods to cure it. Staying away from high impact activities that may worsen the pain is the logical step to take. Ice is also known as an effective heel pain treatment, since it reduced swelling, and kills pain once put on the area. These simple procedures, along with wearing comfy footwear help to get rid of pain. In case the pain is more persistent, then orthotics may be required to improve foot function and spread out the body weight properly.

Another heel pain treatment method that has been proven efficacious in treating acute heel pain is ESWT (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy). This technique can be applied in less than an hour, and patients are regularly able to restart their normal activities after a further 24 hours. If heel pain is caused by rheumatoid arthritis, by tarsal tunnel syndrome or by infections, ESWT can't treat it. In addition, it cannot be applied on people who frequently take medicines such as heparin or patients with certain medical conditions. A doctor will be able to advise you on this heel pain treatment method, and will suggest the best heel pain treatment plan based on the condition you have, and its severity.

In case not a single one of those treatment techniques is effective, the sufferer may have to go through conformist operation, where either the plantar fascia is released, or the heel spur or bursa is removed.

Jane Rivero writes on personal wellness, and appreciates how bad foot pain can be. She recommends visiting a podiatrist or doctor to get to the bottom of the problem, and to ensure that the correct heel pain treatment regimen is started promptly. Effective pain treatment options are numerous, but not all will work with everyone. It may take a little trial and error to get the one which is right for you.

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