Heel Pain
Although we provide comprehensive care for all foot and ankle conditions, the most common issue we treat at Trinity Foot Center is heel pain.
The first thing we want you to understand is that aching, stabbing, painful sensations in your heel are not normal. Heel pain is not something that you should just expect as you get older, or if you work most of your day on your feet.
If your heels are hurting, you need to come see us at Trinity Foot Center.
What Causes Heel Pain?
There are many conditions that cause heel pain, but by far the most common is called plantar fasciitis. If you have this condition, it’s because the long tendon that runs across the bottom of your foot (the plantar fascia) has become stretched and torn.
Our patients who suffer from plantar fasciitis often say something along the lines of “When I first wake up, I can hardly get out of bed–my feet hurt so much!” That’s because the injured tissue tends to tighten when you aren’t bearing weight and standing up again after a long rest causes it to stretch out painfully.
Another common heel pain condition is Achilles tendinitis. This is the result of stretching, tearing, or breakdown in the fibers of the Achilles tendon, also known as the “heel cord.” With this condition, pain is located along the back of the heel, rather than underneath.
What factors lead to painful wear and tear on the plantar fascia or tendon? There are many possible reasons. Some of the most common:
- Weight. About 1 in 3 adults in Texas are medically obese, and many more are overweight. The heavier you are, the greater the accumulated force on your heels is as you go about your day.
- Wearing the wrong shoes. Shoes that don’t fit properly, don’t support your arch, and don’t cushion your heels effectively can increase the pain and strain on ligaments and tendons.
- You’re on your feet too long. Overuse from running, sports, or working on your feet all day causes wear and tear. You may need to change your training schedule or take regular breaks.
- You have a problem with the structure of your feet or your biomechanics. Sometimes the way your feet are shaped or the way they move can cause heel pain. For example, if you have flat feet or your feet roll too far inward when you walk (overpronation), this may excessively lengthen the arch and increase the tension on the plantar fascia.
Other factors and conditions that can lead to heel pain include nerve problems, circulatory problems, stress fractures, or even poor diet.
There are many possible causes of heel pain, so a thorough evaluation at Trinity Foot Center is important to ensure you get the right diagnosis and an effective treatment plan.
How Can We Help?
One of the first things we’ll do is evaluate your shoe gear. We recommend you bring along any pairs of shoes that you wear regularly, or seem connected to heel pain. After a biomechanical evaluation, we can tell whether or not your shoes are one of the primary causes of your condition—and if so, what kinds of shoes you should be wearing instead.
Next, a diagnostic X-ray, which is available in our office, will help us get a clear image of the structure of your feet and help us determine whether you will need orthotics to address any biomechanical issues.
Finally, we’ll help you address the symptoms you’re experiencing using therapies such as:
- Oral prescription and topical medications.
- An injection of steroids into the affected area.
- Physical therapy.
- Use of padding, inserts, or brace to help stretch and protect the heel.
Surgery is usually not necessary for heel pain, but may be considered if conservative treatments have not created enough improvement in your symptoms after a sufficient period of time.
If your heels are hurting, and it’s affecting your work or keeping you from enjoying your favorite activities, please call our office today for effective treatment options. You can contact our office at (972) 293-9650.
Heel pain. Heel is the calcaneus bone in the foot and is one of the most common issues that people see us here for at Trinity Foot Center. The heel pain that they’re speaking of is usually on the bottom or the back of the heel. Many people have already Google searched it. They tell me that they have plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis, and usually those who have Achilles tendonitis are people who have been involved in sports. Many of the people who have been involved in sports have had Achilles issues in the past. What causes it? Usually overuse! Overuse in the kids is because they’re in too many activities, too many sports. They’re in baseball, football, and they’re in soccer. Too much pressure and trauma to the heel bone. In adults, it’s usually because they have jobs that are really demanding and causes them to be on their feet a lot, so main cause is from overuse. Many times, it’s the shoe gear. They’re just not in proper shoe gear, they’re not well made, they’re not well designed, and sometimes they just don’t fit well. Many people don’t even get their feet measured and they just go from a shoe size that they’ve had in the past. Treatment? Usually people will ice it, they’ll stretch it, they’ve done all their searches on Google (what we call Dr. Google), and they have put inserts, they’ve done the Dr. Scholl’s inserts, all the inserts that come in the activity stores. They still come in with pain! So, we will do our complete examination and find a treatment plan that works. So, if you’re dealing with heel pain, come see us here at Trinity Foot Center where we help to keep you on your feet.
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Office Hours
| Monday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Wednesday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Thursday | 8:00am - 5:30pm |
| Friday | 8:00am - Noon |
Contact
p. (972) 293-9650
f. (972) 291-2533
Location
1801 N. Hampton Road
Suite 340
DeSoto, TX 75115
Inside the Inwood National Bank Building on the 3rd Floor
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