Heel pain is a problem too many people try to pass off without real treatment. They might believe it’s just “part of life,” or tried one or two ways of getting rid of it that didn’t end up working.
But heel pain is not something you just have to deal with—and often, it isn’t even that hard to treat! The vast majority of heel pain causes are treatable via conservative methods, but the key is in first knowing exactly what you’re dealing with.
Fortunately, that’s our job!
Heel Pain Can Have Many Causes
Heel pain is a simple-sounding symptom on the surface, but it can stem from a multitude of different sources. If you’ve tried to treat your heel pain in the past and were disappointed by the results, chances are likely that your treatment wasn’t made to address the particular cause of your pain.
Just a few of the more common conditions responsible for heel pain include:
- Plantar Fasciitis. The most common cause of heel pain in adults.
- Achilles Tendinitis. Inflammation of the strongest tendon in the body, connected to the heel bone.
- Sever’s Disease. A common cause of heel pain in active children ages 8-14. (Children can develop heel pain from other causes, too!)
There are more potential causes of heel pain, and a variety of factors that can influence the development of each. Factors can be physical in nature, such as overuse causing sports injuries. Others may be more structural in nature, such as having flat feet or tight calf muscles that pull on the heel. Many times a combination of factors can be involved!
Whatever the cause or causes, however, we’ll get to the root of the problem and recommend a course of treatment that best suits your needs.
How to Get Rid of Heel Pain
The goal of heel pain treatment is to address its cause(s) at the source. We want to greatly reduce discomfort and, ideally, eliminate it altogether.
In most cases, conservative forms of treatment can have a great impact on certain conditions. Such treatments tend to be rather simple in nature, and may include:
- A temporary period of rest to provide the condition more opportunity to heal. This may involve adjusting exercise and activity plans to reduce stress on the feet.
- Conditioning stretches and exercises to build endurance and reduce strain.
- Changes in lifestyle, footwear, work environment, and other factors that may have an influence.
In some cases, conservative treatments may not be as effective as hoped, or it’s clear from the start that a more advanced form of treatment is necessary. Our office provides several advanced options:
- Custom orthotics, prescribed to provide specific amounts of cushioning and corrective support to patients for whom structural issues are a problem.
- Multiwave Locked System (MLS) Laser Therapy, in which specifically attuned light energy stimulates cellular activity in damaged soft tissues, accelerating recovery and pain relief.
- HyProCure, a more permanent solution to certain structural issues. This minor, minimally invasive surgical procedure places a medical-grade stent into a cavity of the foot, providing internal support and lasting relief.
What About Surgery?
Please do not be hesitant about coming in for heel pain treatment for fear of being told you may need surgery.
The need for reconstructive surgery exists, but is very rare. And even minor surgical procedures such as HyProCure are not very common, either.
If surgery does become a consideration in any way, we will fully discuss all your options with you as well as what you would expect, providing any and all information you need to make an informed decision on how you wish to move forward.
Take the First Steps Toward Heel Pain Relief
Heel pain will rarely go away on its own. The sooner you take action to address the causes of your pain, the faster you’ll find relief and the less chance that matters will become worse.
Call us at (814) 472-2600 to schedule an appointment at our Ebensburg or Johnstown offices.
969 Eisenhower Blvd, Suite K-1
Johnstown, PA 15904
(814) 409-7373
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