Heel pain is a very common foot complaint and may be as a result of soft tissue or hard tissue injury.
Plantar Fasciitis can result into a heel spur (calcaneal spur) over time when the fascia healing is delayed and as a result of repeated friction of the fascia over the heel tubercle. This as a result initiates deposition of calcium in excess and results into bony formation called as heel spur.
Heel spurs are often related to flat feet.
Achilles heel issues can be caused by the attachment of your Achilles tendon onto your heel. This can be due to tendonitis or a related Achilles tendinopathy. Bursitis is another source of heel pain. In particular, retrocalcaneal bursitis is common. Heel pain can also be associated with conditions such as posterior impingement syndrome, which is common in dancers or athletes who need to plant their foot eg cricket fast bowlers. It can also occur in any athlete with a relatively unstable ankle eg poorly rehabilitated sprained ankle. Likewise, peroneal tendonitis is a common lateral heel condition that is due to altered foot biomechanics or hind-foot control issues.
Sever's disease is a very common source of children's heel pain. Sever's is related to overactivity and overloading of the calcaneal growth plate.
Most heel pain is caused by a combination of poor biomechanics, or muscle weakness or tightness. The good news is that heel pain can be effectively managed once the cause is identified. Most heel pain can be successfully treated via:
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