What Are the Causes of Pain on the Feet Heels?

WrongDiagnosis.com lists fifteen different causes for heel pain. Understanding the cause of your heel pain is important to determining how to treat the condition and, if possible, alleviate your pain.

Plantar Fasciitus

• The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that starts at your heel and goes along the bottom of your foot. As a person gets older, the plantar fascia loses its elasticity, causing the heel to absorb more shock from walking and get thinner, causing pain. Specific exercises can provide relief; in rare cases, surgery may be needed.

Achilles Tendonitis

• Achilles tendonitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the Achilles tendon. It can be debilitating. Patients typically experience pain and tenderness in the heel when walking or with sudden movements.

Heel Spurs

• Heel spurs are growths on the heel bone. The heel spur does not cause pain, but the inflammation of the tissue surrounding it does.

Obesity

• Obesity can cause heel pain by placing too much pressure on the heel.

Common Treatments

• Common treatments for heel pain include stretching exercises, wearing arch supports, using over-the-counter pain medicine, and resting the effected foot when needed.