One of the most common foot issues to afflict individuals is heel
pain. As highlighted in the most recent Austin Foot and Ankle
Specialists Newsletter, Dr. Thomajan has devoted a part of his practice to
it. There are many different causes for
heel pain. Last month in this blog we discussed
one
of the causes seen often in children.
In adults, the reasons are often have multiple causes which we will
discuss further.
For adults, the problem is often a product of foot
mechanics. A movement of the foot, known
as pronation, is critical to normal walking.
It allows stresses to be distributed through the foot until the toes
leave the ground for the next step. When
this motion becomes exaggerated or moves past the point that is necessary, it
can lead to problems. The bottom of the
foot becomes spread out during over-pronation and causes the arch of your foot
to drop down. This stresses the muscles
and ligament beneath your foot often leading to plantar fasciitis. More information on this can be found in the free book ‘Heel
Pain’. Early treatment of this problem involves stretching, icing, and anti-inflammatory
medication to provide relief. This may
help your heels feel better but does not correct the mechanical problem that
caused it in the first place. Without
proper treatment, it can come back or worsen
to the point of a tear in the tissues.
The
Heel Pain Center of Central Texas was created to properly treat the causes
of heel pain. A division of Austin Foot
and Ankle Specialists there are a variety of treatments available. X-rays may be used to verify that the problem
is in the tendons and muscles and not the heel bone itself. Specialized
shoe inserts, or custom orthotics, can often a good solution if your foot
mechanics are the source of the problem. There are also other non-invasive treatments
that can be implemented to help heal damage caused to the fascia. In severe cases where other treatment
modalities fail, surgical intervention may be an option you discuss with your
Austin podiatrist. If you find yourself
with heel pain, be sure to make a call to the
Heel Pain Center of Central Texas.
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