Heel Pain

What Causes Heel Pain?

There are many possible causes of heel pain. The most common include:

• Plantar Fasciitis – This is inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot (the plantar fascia). The pain is often the worst early in the morning and when standing up after sitting or lying down. It often feels like a stabbing or burning sensation in the heel area.
• Achilles Tendinitis – This is an inflammation or irritation of the tendon that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone (the Achilles tendon). The pain is usually felt along the back of the heel but may also spread up the leg into the calf muscle. It often worsens with activity and improves with rest.
• Heel Spurs – Heel spurs are bony growths on the underside of the heel bone. A spur on the bottom of your heel is most often caused by chronic plantar fasciitis and is treated in conjunction with plantar fasciitis.
• Haglund’s Deformity – This condition affects adults who have an enlargement at the back side of the heel bone (the “pump bump”). This enlargement can rub against shoes, causing discomfort and sometimes painful inflammation at the back of the heel. It can eventually damage the Achilles tendon if severe and left untreated.
• Sever’s Disease – This overuse injury primarily affects adolescents who are involved in a lot of running or jumping sports. It occurs when repeated stress causes inflammation in a growth plate at the back of their heels, resulting in pain at that site.
• Baxter’s Neuritis – This is inflammation of a nerve on the bottom of your foot. It mimics plantar fasciitis pain but luckily, they both respond to similar treatments.