Pain in the heel: causes and treatment. Pain in the heels of walking

The pain in the heels, the causes and treatment of which we will consider below, can be of a different nature and evidence of various diseases. Today we will tell you why such unpleasant sensations arise in certain people, and also how to get rid of them.

How to identify the reasons?

"Heel aches in the morning," - with such a complaint, patients often turn to their doctors. It should be noted that in the absence of a proper medical examination, it is rather difficult to name the true cause of this deviation. In fact unpleasant sensations in legs or foots can cause absolutely different illnesses, and also banal weariness after a long walk.

So how do you know why a person regularly feels severe pain in the heel? The reasons and treatment for this deviation should be determined and prescribed only by a doctor. First, you should consult a therapist who can then refer the patient to a more specialized specialist.

Why does it hurt in the heels? Causes

Treatment of such a deviation should be made only by an experienced doctor. But before proceeding to treat the existing disease, it should be identified. As a rule, to make an accurate diagnosis, an x-ray of a diseased limb is made, and standard tests are also taken.

If in the near future you can not visit a polyclinic, then we will help you understand why you are concerned about pain in the heels. The causes and methods of treatment of this ailment will also be presented in the materials of this article.

Injuries

If you are actively engaged in sports or, for example, just running around in the morning, it can easily provoke getting any kind of injury. So, pain in the heel is often caused by stretching the ligaments of the joint (ankle). Thus the person can complain of very strong unpleasant sensations which are difficult for transferring without anaesthetising medicines.

It should be noted that such pain usually manifests itself in different ways:

• Stitching;
• Burning;
• With lumbago.

On the part of the foot in which the injury happened, the dislocation of pain also depends. For example, discomfort can arise from behind, from the side and so on.

Wrong shoes

Why else can there be pain in the heel while walking? Causes (treatment of such a deviation should be made only after a visit to the doctor), such feelings are often hidden in the selection of the wrong shoes. This is especially true of the fairer sex. After all, the most dangerous enemy of the female foot is a very high heel.

Thus, wearing such shoes leads to an overload of the lower limbs, which can easily contribute to the emergence of intense "shooting" pain in the heel area.

Problems with the musculoskeletal system

For sure, every person has ever been bothered by pains in the heels. Causes and treatment of these abnormalities can be identified and conducted independently at home. But this is only if the unpleasant sensations do not arise due to a serious illness.

So, what diseases can cause pain in the heel? Causes of pain, diagnosis and treatment of the disease are presented below.

Arthritis

Pain in the heel with arthritis is a very common phenomenon. After all, with such a deviation, the inflammatory process spreads along the foot to the tissues that bind the phalanges to the heel bone. Usually, with arthritis, discomfort gradually builds up. The maximum pain occurs in the morning.

To get rid of this pathology, you should consult a doctor who will conduct the examination and prescribe the treatment. If you need to remove the pain quickly, we recommend a foot massage. Although after physical exertion, she can return.

Heel spur

Spur very often causes severe pain in the heels. Causes and treatment of this ailment should be determined and performed only by a doctor and only after receiving an X-ray.

As a rule, the spur is formed due to accumulation of salts under the skin. As they grow, they can cause very strong pain in the foot, or rather in the heel. Especially it is felt during walking, when a hard outgrowth presses on soft tissues. As in the case of arthritis, the pain is felt most of all in the morning.

Plantar fasciitis

This deviation is a compacted formation that extends along the entire length of the foot. If a person wears too tight and uncomfortable shoes, the fasciitis can very quickly become inflamed. Namely, such a state is fraught with gradual deposition of salts. Over time, plantar fasciitis can easily lead to the appearance of such a pathology as a calcaneal spur.

Other reasons

What else can cause pain in the heel? "The heel hurts" (the reasons, symptoms and treatment are discussed in this article) is a very common complaint not only for women but also for men. Such a pathological condition may indicate the inflammation of the Achilles tendon, as well as the presence of reactive arthritis. In addition, unpleasant sensations in the heels are also noted in some infectious processes. For example, with chlamydia or other venereal diseases, the infection can easily contribute to the development of inflammation in the calcaneal tendon. Ultimately, this will lead to severe pain, especially at night.

Who to contact?

It is impossible to feel confident when you are concerned about the pain in the heel when walking. The causes and treatment of this disease we described above. However, the process of therapy wants to give a little more attention.

As is known, pain in the heel is only a symptom of some deviation in the human body. That is why the choice of the method of its treatment depends on the specific cause. To identify it, you should visit a therapist, traumatologist or orthopedist. Also, the patient may need to consult with such physicians as a surgeon, a neurologist and an oncologist.

After contacting the doctor, the latter should conduct a full medical examination, and then diagnose and prescribe the treatment.

Prevention of diseases

To discomfort in your heels do not bother you, it is recommended to regularly take preventive measures that will prevent their appearance.

Thus, regardless of why a person has feet aches, the following recommendations should be observed:

1. Struggle (and strengthened) with excessive body weight. After all, excess weight significantly increases the load on the muscular tissues of the foot.
2. Acquisition and wearing of special orthopedic insoles. Especially it concerns those people who have a flat foot.
3. Wearing comfortable and free shoes with a heel is not more than 5 centimeters. By the way, shoes without a heel to wear are also not recommended.
4. Daily therapeutic exercises for the lower extremities.

Patient examination for pain in the heel

If compliance with the above recommendations did not help you, and very soon you began to feel pain in the feet, and heels in particular, then we recommend to immediately go to the hospital.

When examining such patients, their complaints are very important. In addition to pain in the heels, a person may be bothered by similar feelings in the joints. And their localization can be completely different.

It should also be noted that, along with the described pain in the feet, the patient can complain about the impossibility of full-fledged movements in the back. When examining the patient, doctors often observe swelling and even redness of the heels.

After interviewing the patient, doctors must pay special attention to the history of his illness. This is the only way they will find out whether a person had had a previous foot trauma, whether he had a chlamydial infection, whether he complained about morning stiffness and so on. These and other data in the aggregate will certainly guide the doctor to identify the true cause of unpleasant sensations in the heel.

If the study of the medical history, as well as the examination and the survey did not contribute to the establishment of the correct diagnosis, then a laboratory and instrumental examination is required. As a rule, it includes the following:

• A blood test is common (leukocytosis, anemia, Bechterew's disease or an increase in ESR with a deviation such as rheumatoid arthritis possible).
• A blood test is biochemical (for example, an increase in uric acid in developing gout).
• Microbiological study. It can include such tests as scraping from the urethra for the detection of chlamydia. This study is appointed if there is a suspicion of the development of reactive arthritis.
• X-ray examination. This is one of the most popular methods of examination for pain in the heels. As a rule, all the specific changes that are characteristic of a particular pathology are clearly visible in the picture.
• Research on onco-markers. Such an analysis is prescribed if there is a suspicion of a malignant neoplasm.
• Serological analysis (with rheumatoid arthritis).
• Puncture biopsy of bones. This study is conducted with suspicion of osteomyelitis or bone tuberculosis. Material for sowing is taken by aspiration of pus from soft tissues or bones, or biopsies of the bone itself.

As for further actions, they depend on the patient's age and clinical manifestations. If pain in the calcaneal region disturbs a person for a long time, then the medical examination should be more thorough.

Folk remedies

To quickly get rid of pain in the heels, you can attach a piece of ice to the nasal place or hold a foot in cold water for 20 minutes. In the future, it must be rubbed with any anti-inflammatory cream, put on a sock and lie in peace for about two hours.