Heel pain has a wide variety of causes, many of which can happen without warning or when you least expect it, such as often occurs with the condition called plantar fasciitis that can cause severe heel pain in the middle of the night.

Sudden heel pain can be caused by many conditions including the following:

• Foot fracture—A broken heel bone is very painful and is often the result of an accident or fall. When the heel bone is injured, playing sports such as basketball and tennis, it can fracture from the impact, causing severe pain and debilitation and can take a long time to heal.
• Calluses and heel fissures—Calluses on the heel can become thick and brittle causing cracking and extreme pain and even bleeding which can lead to bacterial or fungal infection.
• Plantar fasciitis—This condition, as previously mentioned, is often experienced as a pain in the heel. Shockwave therapy with the Tenex Health TX is an excellent treatment for this condition.

Often heel pain can be treated at home with rest, icing, and elevation. Making sure that you are wearing properly fitted shoes is another way to quickly treat heel pain.

If you are experiencing heel pain, seeing your foot doctor is the best way to receive the proper diagnosis and treatment. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, Woodlyn, and Downingtown. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.