Heel pain can come on gradually, such as is often experienced with Achilles tendonitis, or it can be more rapid and debilitating such as from a heel fracture. Heel pain can also alter the way you walk, which increases problems with your knees, hips, and back so be sure to see your foot doctor for the proper care.

Some of the many causes of heel pain and discomfort include the following:

• Plantar fasciitis—This is a condition that begins as trauma to the wide band of fibrous tissue that forms your arch, with painful symptoms often occurring in the back of the heel.
• Broken heel bone—Experiencing a hard landing on your heel after leaping up for the ball on the basketball or tennis court can lead to an extremely painful heel fracture. A broken heel bone often requires surgery and a long time to heal properly heal.
• Arthritis—Several types of arthritis can cause debilitating problems in the foot with radiating pain in the heel occurring.
• Heel fissures and calluses—Thick and brittle calluses on the heel can become cracked, bleeding, and painful with possible infections taking hold.

Treating minor heel pain at home can help with rest, icing, compression, and elevation (the RICE protocol), but for heel pain that continues or gets worse, see your foot doctor for the proper care. 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, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.