What Might be Causing Your Heel Pain?

How your podiatrists in Laguna Hills, CA, can help with heel pain

If you suffer from excruciating, stabbing heel pain, it can be difficult to enjoy staying active. Heel pain can come on gradually or suddenly, impacting your life. The good news is, that your podiatrist can help you and your feet feel better.

Dr. Neda Arjomandi at Laguna Woods Podiatry Group in Laguna Hills, CA, offers a wide range of podiatry services, including treatment of heel pain.

There are several causes of heel pain, including:

• Stepping on hard or sharp objects, causing a bruise on your heel
• Forming excess calcium deposits, causing a spur in your heel
• Inflammation of heel tissue, causing plantar fasciitis

Whatever is causing your heel pain, there are a few things you can try at home to get relief. Remember to:

• Do gentle arch stretches every day
• Take over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medication
• Elevate your feet to take stress and pressure off your heels

If you have stubborn heel pain that doesn’t go away, it’s time to visit your podiatrist. There are several ways your podiatrist can treat your heel pain, including:

• Custom orthotics to provide support
• Custom footwear to help absorb stress on your feet
• Physical therapy to help you stay flexible and mobile
• Prescription-strength anti-inflammatory medication to reduce pain
• Injections of corticosteroid medication to reduce swelling
• Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) to break up calcium deposits and scar tissue

If your heel pain is caused by plantar fasciitis, your podiatrist can also help with gait modification to keep you from overpronating or rolling your feet when you walk, which is a main cause of heel pain and plantar fasciitis.

It’s also helpful to switch out old, worn-out shoes and replace them with more supportive shoes to cushion your feet. This is especially important if you walk or stand on hard surfaces for long periods, which is another main cause of plantar fasciitis.

To find out more about the causes of heel pain, call Dr. Neda Arjomandi and Dr. Jody Greenberg of Laguna Woods Podiatry Group in Laguna Hills, CA, at (949) 581-2520. Call now.