Pain in the hindfoot (heel area) is a symptom of various diseases, injuries, or the result of the negative influence of external factors (excess weight, bad shoes, inactivity, excessive activity). Diseases are divided into inflammatory (spur or bursitis of the heel, inflammation of the Achilles tendon) and infectious (osteomyelitis or tuberculosis of the calcaneus), gout, rheumatoid arthritis. Injuries include a fracture or bruise of the heel bone, sprain or rupture of the tendons of the foot. Depending on the result of the initial examination, if necessary, the doctor may refer you for a detailed diagnosis, during which the following methods are used: laboratory blood tests (general, microbiological, biochemical analysis, as well as tumor markers), radiography, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or Ultrasound (ultrasound examination). Treatment is prescribed depending on the diagnostic results.
Pain in the foot near the heel
The foot is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body, which is why discomfort in this area is not surprising for most people. Why do my legs hurt? After diagnosis, an orthopedic traumatologist will answer this question. In cases where it is not possible to consult with him, you can seek help from a surgeon. During the diagnostic process, the attending physician may give referrals to a rheumatologist (to rule out systemic joint diseases), a neurologist (to examine the nerves of the foot) and other specialists. Referrals are given by the doctor based on the presence of specific signs of disease. For example, tingling or numbness indicates nerve damage, which may be a consequence of diabetes. In case of swelling and increased temperature in the heel area, the doctor understands that an infectious lesion may be a possible cause. When symptoms include limited mobility that accompanies foot pain, this indicates the development of arthritis (inflammation). Diagnosis of the cause of pain in the heels is carried out using various methods:
If a person has pain in his feet, and the pain is concentrated in the sole area, he first needs to understand the reason. To do this, you need to divide the pain syndrome into the one that was caused by various diseases and the one that was provoked by extraneous factors. This can only be done with the help of a doctor. If foot pain is not caused by disease, the doctor compiles a list of medications aimed at relieving discomfort and develops a therapy program focused on eliminating the root cause of discomfort in the foot. If the doctor has diagnosed a disease, he selects individual treatment aimed at eliminating not only the symptoms, but also the disease itself.
Extraneous factors include:
Stress on joints due to improper shoes
In the event that foot pain is a symptom of some disease, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive diagnosis. In order to understand that the cause of unpleasant sensations lies precisely in the disease, you should understand the diseases themselves and their symptoms.
In order to remove pain, there are many medicinal, folk and conservative methods, but to do this, the root cause of its occurrence must also be eliminated. In cases where pain is a symptom of a disease, you should strictly follow all the instructions of the attending physician, as well as take appropriate medications and undergo the necessary therapy. If the cause of discomfort, for example, is obesity, you need to use special painkillers and, if necessary, anti-inflammatory drugs. If the cause is incorrect shoes, they should be replaced, with the possible further use of orthopedic insoles.
Inflammation caused by stretching of the fascia in the heel area leads to pain both in the heel itself and in the arch of the foot. Pain in the soles is especially noticeable in the morning, when a person gets out of bed after a long rest.
When the fascia is pulled over a long period of time, a painful bony protrusion called a heel spur develops where it attaches to the heel bone. Therefore, it is important to begin treating functional changes before complications develop.
Pain in the sole due to age-related changes. With age, the protective function of the shock-absorbing fat layer in the area of the metatarsal heads gradually decreases. This condition can lead to compression of the bursae in the area of the metatarsal heads, which leads to their inflammation - bursitis. Inflammation of the joints - rheumatoid arthritis - can also cause pain.
- Dislocation of the metatarsal bones or dislocation of the Lisfranc joint is also rare. It can be complete or incomplete. With complete dislocation, all metatarsal bones are displaced; with incomplete dislocation, individual metatarsal bones are displaced from their normal position. The patient experiences pain in the sole. The shape of the foot changes. The foot appears shortened and widens in the forefoot. If one of the metatarsal bones on the surface of the foot is dislocated, a protrusion in the form of a step is determined. The diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray examination.
— Dislocation of the tarsal bones or dislocation of the Chopart joint is extremely rare. This type of dislocation occurs when the foot turns sharply. The patient is bothered by pain in the sole, which sharply intensifies with foot movements. Swelling occurs and increases rapidly. In the sole below the site of dislocation, the blood supply is disrupted. The victim must be given pain relief and quickly taken to the hospital for urgent reduction of the dislocation.
— Subtalar foot dislocation is rare. This dislocation occurs in the talocalcaneal and talonavicular joints. The mechanism of dislocation is a sharp twisting of the foot in any direction. The talus bone is displaced from its place, and on the side opposite to the displacement a ligament rupture occurs. The patient complains of pain in the sole. The shape of the foot has been changed. To exclude fractures of the foot bones, X-rays are taken.
— Dislocation of the foot in the ankle joint is not common and is usually accompanied by rupture of the ankle ligaments and joint capsule and ankle fractures, less often other articular fractures. The foot can be dislocated outwards, inwards, forwards, backwards and upwards. An outward dislocation of the foot occurs when the foot is twisted sideways and outward. In this case, a fracture of the outer ankle occurs. When the foot turns inwards, a fracture of the inner malleolus occurs and the foot dislocates inwards. A posterior dislocation of the foot can occur with a strong blow to the shin or with a sharp and strong plantar flexion of the foot, and an anterior dislocation occurs when the foot is bent towards the rear or the shin is struck from behind. Rarely, upward dislocation of the foot occurs when falling from a height. The patient is worried about pain in the sole, the inability to stand on his foot and walk. The shape of the foot has been changed. The diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray examination. As first aid, it is necessary to give the victim painkillers and take him to the hospital.
Acquired flat feet (congenital is extremely rare) most often develops as a result of various overloads of the feet, especially during the period of growth of the body. In adulthood, flat feet often develop when standing for a long time (for example, sellers, hairdressers). Long-term wearing of heavy objects and excess body weight also lead to flat feet.
Traumatic flatfoot develops after a fracture of the ankles or foot bones. With fractures of the bones of the lower limb, flat feet also often develop, moreover, on the side opposite to the fracture.
This disease is associated with other diseases such as hypertension, drug reaction, polycythemia, or thrombocytosis. May occur in myeloproliferative diseases such as leukemia. But it can also happen without connection with other diseases. The cause of this disease is unknown.
A burning sensation in a limb often occurs as a response to heat. Pain in the sole can also cause forced positioning of the limb. The affected area turns red.
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Does your sole hurt? It is necessary to take a very careful approach to your overall health. People do not pay enough attention to the symptoms of diseases and do not realize that these diseases can be life-threatening. There are many diseases that at first do not manifest themselves in our body, but in the end it turns out that, unfortunately, it is too late to treat them. Each disease has its own specific signs, characteristic external manifestations - the so-called symptoms of the disease . Identifying symptoms is the first step in diagnosing diseases in general. be examined by a doctor several times a year in order not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in the body and the organism as a whole.
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To understand the cause of pain in the plantar region of the foot, it is necessary to determine its location. Pain may occur in:
Many different pathologies can cause painful symptoms both in the heel itself and affect other areas of the foot. Among them, the most common diseases are the following.
Most often, the pain becomes most acute during the morning rise or when starting to walk after sitting for a long time. This will help you deal with it:
Calcaneal fracture
In this case, pain occurs in the ball of the foot. They can affect the area just under one of the fingers or spread to the entire pad. They are most often caused by the diseases and conditions described below.
Metatarsalgia is manifested by the following symptoms:
Treatment for metatarsalgia includes:
After examination and confirmation of this diagnosis, the doctor usually prescribes the following treatment measures:
Most often, pain occurs in the big toes. They are caused by the following diseases.
After diagnosing this disease, a doctor may prescribe the following types of treatment:
There are cases in which pain may occur in various areas of the sole. These include:
The famous doctor Bubnovsky talks in detail about the causes of pain in the foot and sole. In the video he also talks about effective exercises and preventing foot pain.
Only a doctor can diagnose any of the above ailments. If pain occurs in any part of the sole, especially if it is accompanied by stiffness of movement, visible inflammation, numbness and other symptoms, you should consult an orthopedist or surgeon.
To prevent pain in the sole, you should follow some recommendations. These include:
Compliance with these measures will serve as a good preventive measure for the occurrence of various of the above diseases. If they still cannot be avoided, then timely contacting a doctor and following his instructions for treatment will reduce the risks of further progression of the disease and increased symptoms.
Almost everyone is familiar with tired legs and knows what pain in the sole of the foot is. Legs are very important for a person, they are his support. It is necessary to maintain their health. What are the causes of pain, how can you cope with them?
Unpleasant sensations when the sole of the foot is hot, the ligaments are tense, and when walking you feel a tingling sensation in the heel - should alert you. Such symptoms can bother a person both during active movement and at rest. When tingling appears after physical activity, this phenomenon is considered normal. Massage, rubbing and rest will help improve your foot function. When pain after exercise occurs too often, this may indicate insufficient calcium levels in the body. Proper nutrition and taking vitamin complexes can solve the problem. Cramps and discomfort can also occur when a person is motionless for a long time, in one position. Doctors have proven that people who have sedentary work are much more likely to suffer from muscle atrophy. They lose their elasticity, causing pain in the feet. Chronic discomfort in the sole, tingling also appears when a person has suddenly gained weight: pressure is applied to the bones, so the sole hurts.
Osteoporosis. Perhaps the most common factor. Pain in the sole comes suddenly, there are no warning symptoms. Discomfort is observed even in a calm state, and when movement begins, it intensifies significantly. Causes of osteoporosis: leaching of calcium from the body, constant physical activity on the legs, sedentary lifestyle. It may appear during an illness that requires prolonged bed rest. Also during pregnancy. For treatment, doctors prescribe medications containing calcium, minerals, and vitamin D.
Irregular foot shape. Flat feet. When the foot loses its instep, there is a change in the alignment of the bones. Muscles, nerves, and ligaments are compressed by them; when walking, support occurs not on part of the foot, but on its entire surface. The more flat feet develop, the more painful sensations bother a person. Causes of the disease: weakness of the ligaments, which is inherited, wearing inappropriate shoes, previous diseases, active loads. The problem is eliminated with the help of orthopedic shoes and strengthening manipulations.
When your heel hurts unbearably, this may indicate plantar fasciitis. When the tissue leading from the heel to the top of the foot is weakened or inflamed, this disease appears. This problem is usually common among middle-aged people, soldiers, athletes, and those who spend a lot of time on their feet. There is no universal treatment. It is selected individually in each specific case. A number of measures that alleviate the condition: rest, stop exercising, rubbing your feet with a towel, wearing comfortable shoes with special insoles.
Damage to nerve endings caused by age-related changes. Over the years, the shock absorption of the human foot weakens, the bones are compressed, and as a result painful inflammation occurs. This condition can develop into arthritis.
Arthritis. In order to fight the disease, the body secretes antibodies that attack not only sick but also healthy cells. The joints of the hands and feet are especially susceptible, so with arthritis, you may experience pain in the soles.
Inflammation of the ligaments (ligamentitis) is often determined not only by pain in the sole, but also in other parts of the foot. This disease causes infections and injuries.
Spurs. Many people have probably heard about heel spurs, and some have encountered this problem. It is one of the most common causes of pain in the sole. A growth forms on the tendons. It occurs after excessive stress. Soft tissues are also affected and inflammation occurs. When walking, a sharp tingling sensation is felt. The cause of the disease can be too much weight, trauma to the heel bone, or excessive physical activity.
The sole may also hurt as a consequence of previous injuries: damage to the navicular joint, ankle dislocation, ligament rupture, ankle fracture.
When the sole of the foot hurts, you need to contact a surgeon, traumatologist, or orthopedist.
They will examine the patient’s condition, identify the cause (injury, inflammation, lack of calcium, etc.), and prescribe treatment. The fact is that the causes of the disease can be very different. By self-medicating you can only cause more harm and thereby aggravate the problem. To alleviate the condition, you can, for example, steam your feet in water with soda, herbal infusion, or use rubbing.
It is not recommended to take any medications on your own. Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor may recommend certain methods of treatment: massage, special shoes, strengthening therapy, physical therapy, the use of ointments or operations. In order to prevent unpleasant sensations in the sole from making themselves felt, you need to wear heels in moderation, avoid overwork, do gymnastics, and be in motion more.
So, foot discomfort is a very common problem among people of different ages. Factors that cause many are illness.
At the first painful sensations, it is recommended to make an appointment with a specialist to avoid progression of the disease.
Foot pain near the heel is a common ailment that affects a large number of people. The foot is considered to be the lower end of the leg. It consists of the toes, instep, sole, dorsal arch and heel. Foot problems in the form of pain are a common syndrome. It is accompanied by a large number of different diseases. And the pain itself is a kind of indicator and occurs when the disease progresses, indicating that treatment is necessary.
Foot pain may appear in the front near the toes and in the back near the heel. Pain can occur with different symptoms: swelling, itching, burning, numbness, spots and more. The problem can be acute or chronic. Acute pain occurs for a short time. For example, when you step on a surface with your foot. Chronic pain persists for a long time. The pain syndrome can be aching, sharp, sharp. Its cause can be either a problem with the foot itself or the general condition of the body. When prescribing diagnostic procedures and treatment, the doctor always takes into account the patient’s indications, chronic and general diseases and the characteristics of leg pain.
Let's highlight the main causes of foot pain.
Let's consider pain that is not provoked by any disease, but is associated with extraneous factors.
Some other causes of pain can be named: hypothermia, increased physical stress, reduction in the fat layer of the heel lobe due to general weight loss. In all these situations, specific treatment is not necessary.
The main causes of pain can be diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The main symptom of this disease is swelling of the legs, in particular the feet. It is characterized by low joint mobility and burning pain that occurs constantly. The pain is felt especially acutely in the morning. In addition, a person experiences discomfort while walking, swelling of the foot, fatigue, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, and possible fever. Treatment: taking medications, performing massages using special pain-relieving ointments.
Gout. Cases when the feet hurt due to salt deposits in the joints. Paroxysmal pain along with redness. Syndromes of attacks of this disease can last for quite a long time: more than a month. Gout is recognized by a burning sensation in the Achilles tendon and increased tangibility.
Pain in the heel area also occurs due to the following injuries:
The type of damage can be determined using an x-ray or other special study. Based on the results of the examination, the doctor will prescribe treatment.
In cases of pain in the feet in the heel area, caused by an infectious or other disease, medical intervention and specific treatment are required.
Tumors come in different types. They can be soft or hard, and vessels stand out on their surface, forming a mesh.
When heel pain occurs after an injury, you need to consult a traumatologist. A doctor should conduct an examination and recommend treatment. If the damage has serious consequences, then an x-ray is needed. If an injury is not treated in time, it can lead to serious complications.
If the pain is not caused by injury, but arose for some other reason, and the doctor suspects inflammation, then additional laboratory blood tests may be prescribed: general analysis, biochemistry, tumor marker, microbiological analysis.
For sports injuries, fatigue, sprains and bruises, the first step is to apply a cold compress. You need to leave your leg alone. Later, apply an iodine mesh on the side of the damage. Another option is to anoint the swollen area with a special ointment for bruises, dislocations and sprains. It produces a calming effect.
If it is not possible to independently determine the cause of the pain, and it bothers you every now and then when walking, it makes sense to consult a specialist. The consequences of such pain can be quite serious. The doctor will examine the foot and take action. Timely treatment by a therapist is always better than surgical intervention at an advanced stage of foot disease; it can protect a person from long-term suffering.
People often associate discomfort in the soles of their feet with overwork. But why do my feet and heels hurt? This is not always associated with long walking or overexertion. There are a number of diseases that manifest themselves as pain in the limbs, not to mention injuries.
These pains are quite unpleasant and their anxiety prevents a person from walking normally and prevents them from doing their usual activities. But if you find and eliminate the cause, the simplest of which often concerns uncomfortable shoes, you can get rid of the disease forever.
The causes of pain in the heels and feet are varied. As for women, there is one more. Walking in high, sharp heels—stiletto heels—puts a lot of stress on your feet. After a long hard day, shooting pain may appear not only in the feet, but also in the heel area or both heels. Various types of damage lead not to light and short-term, but to serious consequences. For example, injured ankle ligaments can cause pain in the foot. Sometimes the patient feels as if a stiletto has been driven into the heel.
If the shoes are suitable, comfortable, there are no injuries, but there is pain, doctors suspect that patients have diseases characteristic of the feet:
An equally common cause of foot pain is flat feet, especially to a high degree. The flatness of the arch reduces the shock-absorbing properties of the feet when walking. This way fatigue sets in faster. It is accompanied by pain not only during movement, but also in a calm state after walking or standing. The patient feels that his legs are buzzing and are overly tired.
If a person has gained weight in a short period of time, this can also cause pain radiating to the leg, which is associated with a weight load to which the lower limbs are not yet accustomed. Over time, if there are no other diseases (arthritis, rheumatism), such an illness will pass. In the case when the patient manages to say goodbye to extra pounds, lightness will come.
Various types of dislocations and hematomas of the extremities do not always cause pain in which it is impossible to step on the heels. More often than not, unpleasant sensations are concentrated precisely at the sites of injury. If problems arise in the foot area, doctors often suspect problems with them.
When discomfort in the feet is felt only when walking, but nothing bothers you at rest or in a standing position, doctors suspect the presence of an equally common disease - osteopathy, in which there is not enough calcium in the body, and this process becomes chronic. This disease can develop into osteoporosis and lead to rickets. If you put pressure on your foot and characteristic pain occurs, it is important to contact a surgeon so that he can prescribe the necessary diagnosis and treatment. The disease threatens a complete loss of support on the foot and is caused by severe inflammation of the tissues.
Discomfort in the leg may appear when it is in a stationary position for a long time. It takes a little time to get out of the “stupid” state. At the same time, goosebumps appear in the feet and heels, and pain may be felt. It passes quickly and everything returns to normal.
But long-term immobility can be accompanied by prolonged pain. In this case, not everything is so simple. Perhaps there are characteristic diseases, the cause of which is atrophied muscles.
Leg problems are often experienced by people who engage in race walking and other types of athletics:
If athletes have had injuries to their limbs, there is no long wait for painful conditions. In addition to people who are interested in various types of gymnastics and physical training, people in professions that involve being on their feet for a long time face problems. There are many of these:
We can list them endlessly, but not every person wants to change what they love if their limbs fail. He begins to treat them.
Rarely, but there are serious diseases, the symptoms of which are pain in the feet. These include severe nerve damage or inflammation. Those located between the fingers cause a lot of problems if they end up being squeezed. Poor blood circulation in the extremities causes them to turn blue and hurt.
Older people have problems walking if the heads of the metatarsal bones are compressed during the development of bursitis. The problem of oncology is no less serious. The tumor can develop in nervous tissue. It is often benign and grows between the 3rd and 4th fingers. This disease is called Morton's neuroma. Women suffer from it, who initially feel slight tingling in the areas between the fingers of the lower extremities, and later unbearable pain sets in. Among the causes of the disease, which experts cite, is wearing narrow, tight shoes. To top it all off - high heels. But scientists have not yet fully figured out the origin of this disease.
Quite rare, but no less serious, are dislocations of the Lisfranc joint, when the bones of the feet are displaced. Not only does pain occur, but the foot also becomes deformed. It can shorten or expand. Bones protrude. The disease is diagnosed using x-rays.
Dislocation of the Chopart joint can occur when the foot turns awkwardly. During movement, the pain becomes stronger, the limb swells. Only a traumatologist diagnoses these diseases and prescribes treatment. But before you contact him, you need to take a painkiller.
Sometimes, when people get injured in their lower extremities, they don’t even suspect that there is a fracture. In any case, to avoid serious consequences, it is important to take a picture and take urgent measures for treatment. The sore limb needs to be kept at rest.
Erythromelalgia. Scientists gave such an intricate name to another equally rare disease. It most often affects middle-aged men. Among the reasons:
The foot turns red, the pain is more like a burning sensation. The symptoms may not be obvious and may not bother the person much, but they often become vivid. If you do not pay attention to them or self-medicate, the matter may end in disability. It is recommended to cool the feet, bring them to rest, and elevate them. Doctors prescribe medications that thin the blood and constrict blood vessels.
Some infections, including genital infections, can cause acute pain and inflammation of the heels.
Even if your discomfort is not so obvious, be sure to contact an orthopedic surgeon, traumatologist, neurologist or rheumatologist. These are the specialists who can help with various diseases of the limbs. Only they can prescribe qualified treatment. It often becomes complex, depending on the causes of the disease.
Prevention of limb ailments involves moderate alternation of walking in heels (for women) with low-soled shoes. If there have already been injuries, fractures, and they have been treated, the body has been rehabilitated, be careful when walking. Due to serious deviations caused by injuries, flat feet may develop. To avoid this, you need to perform special exercises, which are done only on the recommendation of a doctor. To avoid getting flat feet, you need to treat postural curvatures in a timely manner.
It is advisable to take care of your spine from childhood.
Do not forget about comfortable shoes, the soles of which should be soft. The presence of a heel is mandatory, since walking on completely flat soles leads to problems. The permissible heel size is up to 4 cm.
Do not neglect sole massage courses in addition to the exercises performed. Do not forget about the existence of orthopedic shoes and specialized insoles, the use of which allows you to avoid unnecessary stress when walking.
The heel is the largest and “protruding” part of the foot, seemingly strong, but quite vulnerable, often becoming a source of discomfort and even pain for a person. The saying “The feet feed the wolf” is familiar to everyone. It is applied not only to shaggy forest dwellers, but also to humans. True, in wolves the load falls on four supports, but Homo Sapience and some of its ancestors had to free their hands, increasing the load on the spinal column and lower limbs. And this in turn led to a manifold increase in pressure on the feet. For this reason, in the work race, a modern person can receive not only profit, but also pain - pain in the heel.
Let's look at the general structure of the human foot, focusing a little more on the heel area.
In this part of the body, the back side and the foot (plantar side) .
The skeleton of the foot consists of 26 bones, and there are 3 parts in it:
The joints of bones are joints surrounded by ligaments. Tendons, similar in structure to ligaments, attach the muscles to the bones that provide movement of the foot.
The bone base of the heel is formed by the calcaneus , which is the largest element of the foot skeleton. This bone is located in the posteroinferior part of the tarsus, the section closest to the tibia.
In front of the heel bone there is a protrusion - the support of the talus. The calcaneus articulates with the talus, forming a movable joint, as well as with the cuboid bone, which belongs to the anterior tarsus.
The heel bone also has a posterior protrusion , which performs a supporting function when a person stands and takes on a large load when running and walking. The Achilles tendon of the triceps surae muscle, as well as the fascia (a sheath of connective tissue) of the muscles running on the sole, is attached to this part of the heel bone This fascia is called the plantar aponeurosis and helps maintain the arched structure of the foot.
a thick fat layer on the sole side .
There are several causes of pain in this small but most important part of the foot.
You can injure the fascia, tendons, and the heel bone itself.
Very often the Achilles tendon is stretched. This injury is accompanied by sharp acute pain, localized just above the heel, and swelling in the tendon area.
If you jump unsuccessfully and land on your heel, you can get a fracture or bruise of the heel bone. In this case, the person experiences a sensation as if a piercing object has been stuck into the sole.
Another cause of severe heel pain is inflammatory processes, often associated with wearing the wrong shoes, as well as systematic overuse or untreated injuries described above.
Non-healing ruptures of the plantar fascia ultimately lead to the accumulation of calcium salts at the sites of damage and the formation of heel spurs. One of the main signs of this disease is increased pain in the heel after sleep in the morning, that is, at the time of the first load on the foot.
Often a spur occurs at the site of attachment of the aponeurosis to the heel bone. In addition, the accumulation of calcium salts, which causes pain, is often observed in other areas of the fascia, as well as in the place of fixation of the Achilles tendon. Inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis is called plantar fasciitis , and the Achilles tendon is called achillodynia . Fasciitis is the main cause of foot pain near the heel.
Pain in the upper heel is sometimes associated with inflammation of the bursa where the Achilles tendon attaches to the posterior tuberosity. This is bursitis . It has the following manifestations: swelling, redness, pain, local increase in temperature on the back of the heel. The pain intensifies during the day.
In the case of Haglund-Schinze disease, the inflammatory process affects the tubercle of the heel bone itself. Bone tissue is destroyed. The patient experiences pain when putting weight on the heel, so he is forced to step only on the front and middle parts of the feet and use crutches or a cane.
Inflammatory processes associated with systemic diseases can be distinguished into a separate group:
The first and last are diseases in which the body of a sick person produces antibodies to its own tissues. With rheumatoid arthritis, there is swelling, pain and poor mobility of the joints, as well as a general decrease in body tone. Ankylosing spondylitis leads to ossification of a person's joints, including the spine, which ultimately leads to complete immobility.
Psoriatic arthritis is one of the manifestations of psoriasis. The patient experiences pain during movement, sometimes even cannot get out of bed.
When gout occurs, uric acid salts accumulate in the joints, which leads to pain and swelling, and in some cases, increased temperature at the site of inflammation. Symptoms are worse at night.
Increased pain in the heels at night is often characteristic of inflammatory processes caused by certain sexual and intestinal infections, often otherwise asymptomatic. Pathogens can be ureaplasma, gonococcus, chlamydia, salmonella, shigella (dysentery bacilli) and others. They lead to the development of reactive arthritis, that is, the joints become inflamed.
Infectious lesions of bones, including the heel, and joints can also occur with bone tuberculosis. A purulent focus forms, eventually opening outward in the form of a fistula.
Bacterial bone destruction (osteomyelitis) can occur under the influence of other bacteria. The disease is characterized by a significant increase in body temperature, redness, swelling and pain at the site of infection.
In some cases, heel pain is caused by malignant bone tumors. At first, the pain is episodic, but then the affected area hurts constantly, and swelling is observed.
Since this disease causes pain in the extremities as a result of impaired vasomotor function, it can also cause pain in the heels. In addition to acute pain in the affected area, there is an increase in temperature, sweating, and increased pain when touched. After the attack passes, the skin in the affected area begins to peel off and a rash appears.
Since many diseases of the hindfoot have a similar set of symptoms, it is impossible to accurately diagnose and, therefore, prescribe treatment without the participation of a doctor.
First of all, it is recommended to visit an orthopedic surgeon. You may need to consult a rheumatologist, immunologist, infectious disease specialist and other specialists.
The doctor will have to conduct an examination and interview about the nature of the pain, the time of day when it occurs most often. He may be interested in a history of intestinal and sexually transmitted infections. The patient will also be asked about pain in other joints of the body.
Further examination, if necessary, as well as the treatment regimen is determined depending on the diagnostic results only by the attending physician. Self-medication is not recommended.
Painful sensations are relieved by taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as by using special heel pads that reduce the load on the back of the foot. Often, specialists prescribe a special complex of exercise therapy and shock wave therapy.
Further treatment depends on the causes of heel pain when walking. Thus, for rheumatoid arthritis, in some cases systemic steroids are prescribed. Local blockade of hormonal drugs also reduces inflammation with heel spurs.
Note that the article describes only some of the most popular causes of heel pain both when walking and at rest. Making diagnoses based on what you read is not only incorrect, but also dangerous. Only a specialist should do this.