What to Do About Sudden Heel Pain

Have you started to suddenly feel a lot of heel pain whenever you stand up or walk around? You might have originally believed that the heel pain was caused by a pair of shoes that you were wearing. However, if you switched to more comfortable shoes and are still experiencing the same level of discomfort, you could have something going on with your heel that you are not aware of yet. Visiting a foot and ankle clinic where you can meet with a specialist who can examine your feet is something you are going to need to do.

What Can Cause Such Serious Heel Pain?

When your heels are hurting, the pain is often caused by one of several things. Different causes of heel discomfort may include:

• Chronic standing
• Plantar fasciitis caused by excessive pressure applied to your heels
• Uncomfortable footwear that might not fit properly
• Heel spurs

If you spend a lot of time on your feet and you are not wearing shoes that are comfortable enough, you can end up with a lot of pain. However, if your pain is unexplainable because you do wear supportive shoes and are not on your feet for lengthy periods, you may have plantar fasciitis or heel spurs.

What Does the Specialist at the Foot and Ankle Clinic Do?

The specialists will carefully examine each foot and pay special attention to the heels. After examining the feet, X-rays are often taken to provide an even better view of what is going on. If you are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, the specialist will likely recommend adding special inserts to the shoes that you normally wear or selecting orthotic footwear. If that does not help much, you may need steroid injections.

If it turns out that you have a heel spur in one foot or both feet, you would likely need steroid injections, along with prescription medication that could help reduce some of the inflammation. The treatment options vary on a case-by-case basis. The goal is to see the specialist, receive a diagnosis, and then find out what you can do to reduce the pain you are feeling in your heels, especially since the pain can make it hard for you to walk around.

Experiencing a lot of heel pain and not sure why? You should visit the foot and ankle specialist. They will examine your feet, have X-rays taken, and offer recommendations on what you can do to relieve your pain.