Heel Pain

What causes heel pain?

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain. This condition describes inflammation of the ligament that runs from the toes to the heel bone. Overuse can irritate this ligament, leading to persistent pain that’s usually at its worst first thing in the morning when you step out of bed. 

Other causes of heel pain include:

• Bone spurs
• Achilles tendinitis
• Bursitis
• Stress fractures
• Sever’s disease, which usually affects children

Less common causes of heel pain include rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Sharobeem performs a thorough evaluation before diagnosing your heel pain and creating your customized treatment plan.

What puts me at risk of heel pain?

Heel pain can result from a sudden increase in time spent on your feet — such as raising the intensity of a walking or running program too quickly — or a change in footwear. If you’re already a runner, abruptly adding speed work or hill drills can add to your heel pain.

If you tend to excessively pronate, or turn your foot and arch inward as you walk or run, you’re more susceptible to heel pain from plantar fasciitis. 

Being overweight or obese also increases your risk of experiencing heel pain. 

Consider your shoe choices if you’re concerned with heel pain. If you’re starting a running program, get a gait analysis at your local running store to determine the best type of shoe for you. 

Regularly wearing flip-flops, sandals that lack support, or worn shoes aggravates heel pain. 

How do you treat heel pain?

Waiting and hoping that heel pain goes away on its own can actually extend your treatment time. 

Dr. Sharobeem favors conservative treatments for heel pain. These include rest, shoe changes, physical therapy, and custom orthotics. 

If these interventions don’t work, he may recommend regenerative therapies like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections or TenJet therapy. TenJet is a needle-like device that uses a pressurized, high-velocity burst of saline solution to remove diseased tissue in the heel. 

Dr. Sharobeem performs the procedure in-office. It requires just one small incision, and you go home after the treatment to recover. This treatment provides many of the same benefits of surgery without invasiveness and a long recovery. 

Surgery is reserved for the most severe cases.

Experience some of the most effective treatments for heel pain at Manhattan Podiatry Group. Call the office nearest you or request an appointment online today.

Common foot & ankle conditions treated at our practice