Heel pain is a common complaint among lots of people, and one of the most common causes for the condition is plantar fasciitis. It is important to remember, though, that not all cases of pain in heel are caused by plantar fasciitis. There are other underlying conditions which may cause the pain, thus an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause should be made in order to get the right treatment and exercises for heal pain that  the cause.

Here are some possible causes of heel pain that should be taken into consideration.

• Plantar Fasciitis – Of course, plantar fasciitis comes up as the first probable reason for pain in heel, and this is due to the irritation of the tissues that form the arch on the foot. Some common symptoms of this condition include pain in heel caused by prolonged standing and walking.
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – Quite similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in a person’s hand, tarsal tunnel syndrome is caused by an entrapment of a large nerve in the back of the foot. This condition can also be one of the possible causes of heel pain.
• Posterior Heel Pain – Unlike plantar fasciitis where pain comes from underneath the foot, pain in heel for posterior heel pain occurs usually behind the foot. Some causes of this heel pain include Achilles tendonitis.
• Stress Fractures – Stress fractures are uncommon, but should also be considered among the possible causes of heel pain. A fracture in the heel is usually caused by acute events such as car crashes or falls. Some forces can also be low, but may happen regularly and repetitively, and this is quite common in athletes who jump or run on hard surfaces such as basketball players and distance runners.

What To Do With Heel Pain

You may find out that some symptoms of pain in heel may overlap, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of it. Thus, it is very important to seek medical attention in order to get the right treatment that specifically addresses the cause of the problem.

Best Treatments For Pain In Heel

How heel pain is treated completely depends on the root of the problem, thus, it is of complete importance to understand and find out the cause of the problem before starting on any treatment or recovery program. Again, if you are not sure of your diagnosis, it is always best to speak to your doctor and ask for medical advise.

Here are some common treatments that are listed for pain in heel. While these may not apply for all conditions, you may find them helpful for your heel pain situation.

• Rest – Rest is one of the best treatments for all kinds of heel pain. Avoid all precipitating activities such as exercising, standing or walking for prolonged periods of time. Resting may not completely eliminate  all the pain, but may lessen severe pain, and may reduce inflammation.
• Ice Packs – Ice packs can reduce inflammation, and may diminish symptoms of heel pain as well.
• Exercises For Heel Pain – Some exercises for heel pain, as well as stretches are great for relaxing the tissues of the feet and the ones surrounding the heel bone. Exercises for heel pain can be done at the beginning of the day and at night as well. Some appropriate exercises for heel pain are calf stretches, toe dips and cross leg stretches.
• Using the right shoes, using shoe inserts and taking anti – inflammatory medication can also help in decreasing pain in heel.

Remember that there are numerous causes for heel pain, and it may not just be because of plantar fasciitis. Thus, it is very important to seek medical intervention when it comes to diagnosis in order to get the treatment that’s specifically geared towards your condition.

Plantar Fasciitis? What the heck is plantar fasciitis? Yeah, funny looking word, huh? Weird spelling too. Well, Plantar Fasciitis (sometimes mispelled as Plantar Fascitis) is an irritation of the tendon on the bottom of  the foot, called the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia tendon runs from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot. Most of the time this inflammation manifests itself with severe pain in the heel of the foot.

The plantar fascia works kind of like a rubber band. It streches and contracts as needed. If the plantar fascia becomes damaged, it can tear, bruise or swell.

There are several risk factors that contribute to one having plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the plantar fascia. These factors include being overweight, diabetes, standing too long on your feet, being flat footed or having a high arch.

Plantar Fasciitis symptoms include pain in the heel while walking. Some might describe this pain like you are walking on bruises, or a knife or pin sticking into the bottom of the foot. This pain will be most severe in the morning when you first stand or after sitting for a period of time. Once you start moving around on the foot, the pain will lesson a little.

Do you have plantar fasciitis symptoms? Comment and tell us hear about them.