Pain In The Heel, What Is It Due To?

Heel pain is a reality as common as it is bothersome. For this reason, it may be that you have ever experienced it after having walked for a long period of time, or after a vacation, when resuming the exercise session, or in other circumstances.

It is a kind of stabbing pain that extends to the entire foot and prevents us from moving normally … Now, do we know what it is due to?

Let’s see below what are the main causes that we must take into account when going for a medical check-up.

What is the origin of a heel pain?

Usually the pain in the heel can arise after a particular effort that we have made, some small accident or, simply appear suddenly without knowing the reason very well. For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention to how it occurs, if it intensifies over time or not, what makes it worse and what does not, to discuss it with the doctor and thus find the cause.

You have to know that the heel bone is the largest of the 26 bones that make up the human foot, and that in turn it has 33 joints. That is to say, it is a really sophisticated part as well as delicate, with its more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments. It is normal for your health and integrity to be affected from time to time.

When pain appears, it can be felt more in the front or the back of the heel itself, a suffering that affects the biomechanics of the steps when walking. The tension and the suffering can be due to a series of realities that we are going to explain, but before we remind you that it will always be the doctor who indicates the exact diagnosis.

1. Rams

It is undoubtedly the most common source of heel pain. But what really is the spur? It is a bony growth in the lower part of the heel bone, which is, so to speak, like an extension of the bone itself of a few millimeters that causes considerable pain.

They usually arise after overexertion of the muscles and ligaments of the foot, which stretches the band of tissue that connects the heel and the ball of the foot, thus tearing the membrane that covers the heel bone.

And why does it happen? For a bad step, the wrong use of shoes, running improperly for a day, having incorrectly forced the foot and even obesity. We must take this into account, and know that normally heel pain almost always has this origin.

2. Plantar fasciitis

If your heel pain extends to the bottom of your foot, then you are likely suffering from plantar fasciitis. It arises when there is an inflammation of the fibrous connective tissue band (fascia) that runs along the sole of the foot from the heel to the ball of the foot. It arises when we have made a great effort, walked a lot, have run, used uncomfortable shoes for a long time …

The soft tissue fibers on the sole of the foot have been overstretched or even broken, which is why so much pain appears. But another aspect to keep in mind is that, sometimes, the spur is also associated with plantar fasciitis.

When we suffer from plantar fasciitis, rest only provides temporary relief. The safest thing is that the pain will reappear each time we stretch the heel. So it is essential that it is the doctor who gives us the guidelines and the treatment to follow.

While you can try some home remedies; do not forget, for example, that ice relieves pain, or that massages with rosemary oil reduce inflammation. Functional bandages also work well, as does rolling a frozen water bottle with the affected foot.

3. Excessive pronation

Excessive pronation may not sound like that much to you. It happens when we walk in the wrong way. Keep in mind that when walking, the heel touches the ground first; weight is shifted first to the outside of the foot, then to the big toe.

When we bend our foot too much, that is, we bend the arch of the foot too much, an abnormal amount of stretch and tension can be created on the ligaments and tendons attached to the bottom of the heel bone. And it must be borne in mind that this foot injury, if not corrected, can have consequences on the knees and hips.

If we do not take care of the way we walk, the entire skeleton will be affected because there is an imbalance that needs to be corrected at every step. Curious but true.

4. Other causes of heel pain:

• Rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis: a very common and painful reality, the complex joints of the heel tend to suffer very commonly in the presence of arthritis.

• Gout : excess uric acid in the body, can lead to inflammation not only of the big toe, but also of the heels. The discomfort is very incisive.
• Bursitis: surely you have heard of bursitis, it is very similar to the spur, but in this case what grows abnormally is a nerve, it is a neuroma that oppresses this area of ​​the foot and has grown as we say, in a way not very functional.
• Haglund’s deformity: also very common. Do you know why it is? To the excessive use of high heels. It is an enlarged bone at the back of the heel bone, right at the Achilles tendon. It is something very painful.
• Achilles tendon inflammation: if you lead a very active life and you usually practice a lot of sports, for example, you have surely heard of this type of injury. The inflammation is called Achilles tendonitis, and it happens when we put stress on this part of the foot on numerous occasions.
• Bone contusions : it is basically due to a blow. A misstep where you accidentally hit something, or receive a sudden impact. In this case, you will have no problem recognizing what it is due to. Remember that if it happens to you, the first thing you should do is put ice on the affected area.

As you can see, there are several causes of heel pain. Have you ever experienced it? Do you remember the cause and what the doctor told you?