What Causes Pain In Heels?

Posted on Mon, 22 Sep 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 Answered on

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : My heel is hurting so bad it is difficult to walk on it. No injury was involved.

Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
plantar fasciitis

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
it looks like plantar fasciitis,classically the pain involves the heel. The heel pain characteristic of plantar fasciitis is usually felt on the bottom of the heel and is most intense with the first steps of the day. You may be having difficulty with dorsiflexion of the foot,
First-line conservative approaches include rest, heat, ice, calf-strengthening exercises, techniques to stretch the calf muscles, achilles tendon, and plantar fascia, weight reduction in the overweight or obese, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Corticosteroid injections are sometimes used for cases of plantar fasciitis refractory to more conservative measures which you may think as an option if you are having it from a very long time.
Extracorporeal shock wave treatment is also available as a long term treatment option. Thank you
Dr. Khan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar