Pain in the heels, the causes and treatment of which we will consider below, can be of a different nature and indicate different diseases. Today we will tell you about why such unpleasant sensations occur in certain people, as well as how to get rid of them.
How to identify the causes?
“Heels hurt in the morning,” patients often turn to their doctors with such a complaint. It should be noted that in the absence of a proper medical examination, it is rather difficult to name the true cause of this deviation. After all, unpleasant sensations in the legs can cause completely different diseases, as well as banal fatigue after a long walk.
So how do you know why a person regularly feels severe heel pain? The causes and treatment of this deviation should be determined and prescribed only by a doctor. First, you should consult a therapist, who can subsequently refer the patient to a narrower specialist.
Why does heel pain occur? Causes
The treatment of such deviations should be done only by an experienced doctor. But before proceeding with the treatment of an existing disease, it should be identified. As a rule, an X-ray of a diseased limb is made to make an accurate diagnosis, and standard tests are also given.
If in the near future you will not be able to visit the clinic, then we will help you understand why heel pain bothers you. The causes and methods of treatment of this disease will also be presented in the materials of this article.
Injuries
If you are actively involved in sports or, for example, just running in the morning, then this can easily provoke any kind of injury. So, heel pain is often caused by a sprain of the joint (ankle). At the same time, a person may complain of very strong discomfort, which is difficult to tolerate without pain medication.
It should be noted that such pain usually manifests itself in different ways:
- stitching;
- burning;
- with a backache.
The location of the pain also determines the location of the leg. For example, discomfort can occur from behind, from the side, and so on.
Wrong shoes
Why else can heel pain occur while walking? The reasons (treatment of such a deviation should be carried out only after visiting a doctor) of such feelings are often hidden in the selection of the wrong shoes. This is especially true for the fairer sex. After all, the most dangerous enemy of the female foot is a very high heel.
Thus, wearing such shoes leads to an overload of the lower extremities, which can easily contribute to the appearance of intense “shooting” pain in the heel.
Musculoskeletal problems
Surely every person has ever been bothered by heel pain. The causes and treatment of these abnormalities can be identified and carried out independently at home. But this is only if discomfort does not arise due to a serious illness.
So what diseases can cause heel pain? The causes of pain, diagnosis and treatment of a disease are presented below.
Arthritis
Heel pain in arthritis is a very common occurrence. After all, with such a deviation, the inflammatory process spreads along the foot along the tissues that connect the phalanges to the calcaneus. Usually, with arthritis, discomfort increases gradually. In this case, maximum pain occurs in the morning.
To get rid of such a pathology, you should consult a doctor who will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment. If you need to remove the pain quickly, then we recommend a foot massage. Although after physical exertion, she may return again.
Heel spur
Spur very often causes severe heel pain. The causes and treatment of this ailment should be determined and carried out only by a doctor and only after receiving an x-ray.
As a rule, a spur is formed due to the accumulation of salts under the skin. As they grow, they can cause very strong pain in the foot, or rather in the heel. This is especially felt during walking, when a hard growth exerts pressure on soft tissues. As with arthritis, the pains are most felt in the morning.
Plantar fasciitis
This deviation is a compacted formation that extends along the entire length of the foot. If a person wears too tight and uncomfortable shoes, the fasciitis can become inflamed very quickly. Namely, such a condition is fraught with a gradual deposition of salts. Over time, plantar fasciitis can easily lead to the appearance of such a pathology as the heel spur.
Other reasons
What else can cause heel pain? "Heel hurts" (the causes, symptoms and treatment are discussed in this article) - this is a very common complaint of not only women but also men. Such a pathological condition may indicate inflammation of the Achilles tendon, as well as the presence of reactive arthritis. In addition, unpleasant sensations in the heels are noted with some infectious processes. For example, with chlamydia or other sexually transmitted diseases, an infection can easily contribute to the development of inflammation in the calcaneal tendon. Ultimately, this will lead to severe pain, especially at night.
Who to contact?
It is impossible to feel confident when every now and then you are bothered by pain in the heel when walking. The causes and treatment of this ailment we described above. However, the therapy process wants to pay a little more attention.
As you know, heel pain is only a symptom of some kind of deviation in the human body. That is why the choice of the method of its treatment depends on the specific reason. To identify it, you should visit a therapist, traumatologist or orthopedist. Also, the patient may need to consult with doctors such as a surgeon, neurologist and oncologist.
After going to the doctor, the latter should conduct a full medical examination, and then make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Disease prevention
So that discomfort in the heels does not bother you, it is recommended that regular preventive measures be taken to prevent their occurrence.
Thus, regardless of why a person has sore feet, the following recommendations must be observed:
- The fight (and intensified) with overweight. Indeed, excess weight significantly increases the load on the muscle tissue of the foot.
- The acquisition and wearing of special orthopedic insoles. This is especially true for those people who have flat feet.
- Wearing comfortable and loose shoes with a heel of no more than 5 centimeters. By the way, shoes without heels are also not recommended.
- Daily therapeutic exercises for the lower extremities.
Examination of the patient with heel pain
If following the above recommendations did not help you, and very soon you began to feel pain in the feet, and heels in particular, then we recommend that you immediately go to the hospital.
When examining such patients, their complaints are very important. In addition to pain in the heels, a person may be disturbed by similar sensations in the joints. Moreover, their localization can be completely different.
It should also be noted that along with the described pains in the feet, the patient may complain about the impossibility of full movements in the back. When examining a patient, doctors often observe swelling and even redness of the heels.
After interviewing a patient, doctors are required to pay special attention to the history of his illness. Only in this way they will find out whether a person had a previous foot injury, whether he suffered a chlamydial infection, whether he complained of morning stiffness, and so on. These and other data in the aggregate will surely lead the doctor to identify the true cause of discomfort in the heel.
If the study of the medical history, as well as the examination and the survey did not contribute to the correct diagnosis, then a laboratory-instrumental examination is required. As a rule, it includes the following:
- A general blood test (leukocytosis, anemia, ankylosing spondylitis, or an increase in ESR with a deviation such as rheumatoid arthritis is possible).
- A biochemical blood test (for example, an increase in uric acid with developing gout).
- Microbiological research. It may include tests such as scraping from the urethra to detect chlamydia. This study is prescribed if there is a suspicion of the development of reactive arthritis.
- X-ray study. This is one of the most popular examination methods for heel pain. As a rule, all specific changes that are characteristic of a particular pathology are very clearly visible in the image.
- Research on cancer markers. Such an analysis is prescribed if there is a suspicion of a malignant neoplasm.
- Serological analysis (for rheumatoid arthritis).
- Puncture biopsy of bones. This study is performed if osteomyelitis or bone tuberculosis is suspected. Material for sowing is taken by aspiration of pus from soft tissues or bones, or a biopsy of the bone itself is performed.
As for further actions, they depend on the patient's age and clinical manifestations. If pain in the heel area bothers a person for a long time, then a medical examination should be more thorough.
Folk remedies
To quickly get rid of heel pain, you can attach a piece of ice to a aching place or hold your foot in cold water for 20 minutes. In the future, it must be rubbed with any anti-inflammatory cream, put on a sock and lie down for about two hours.