Heel Pain Specialist

What is heel pain?

You can experience several types of heel pain, including:

Plantar Fasciitis

This is an inflammation of the connective tissue called the plantar fascia, that stretches from the base of the toes along the arch of the foot back to your heel bone.

Heel fissures

This is the cracking of the skin on the heels, which can cause bleeding. It can develop from wearing open-back shoes, allowing slippage around the heel. Eczema and psoriasis are skin conditions that can also lead to heel fissures.

Heel Calluses

Heel calluses develop when a metatarsal bone is longer or lower than the others. This difference in length causes the shorter bone to hit the ground with more force than it’s meant to handle. So the skin thickens under this bone to protect it, but this causes a callus to form. The callus causes pain and irritation.

Haglund's deformity

With Haglund's deformity, the back of the heel bone becomes enlarged and, when irritated by shoes causes swelling and redness. It’s nicknamed “pump bump” and the medical term for it is retrocalcaneal bursitis.

If you’re suffering from any kind of heel pain, see the team at Albuquerque Associated Podiatrists for an evaluation so they can prescribe the right treatment for you.

What causes heel pain?

There are many reasons for the onset of heel pain. Routine high-impact exercise can cause heel spurs, which form when the muscles and ligaments of the heel undergo repeated pressure.

Other causes of heel pain include:

• Plantar fasciitis
• Bursitis
• Nerve damage
• Overpronation
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stress fractures
• Achilles tendon rupture
• Achilles tendinitis

If you’re suffering from heel pain, see your podiatrist at Albuquerque Associated Podiatrists right away for a customized treatment plan.

How do you treat heel pain?

Depending on the severity of your condition, treatments vary.

Recommendations for healing can include:

• Changing your shoes
• Using orthotics (shoe inserts)
• Stretching exercises
• Soaking your feet
• Physical therapy
• Taking anti-inflammatory medicines
• Avoiding high heels
• Icing your feet
• Wearing night splints
• Extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT)
• Injection therapies
• Osteotomy surgery

The specialists at Albuquerque Associated Podiatrists use the latest technologies and treatment methods to relieve chronic heel pain and to promote healing for the tissues in your foot.

If you’re in need of relief from heel pain, reach out to the team at Albuquerque Associated Podiatrists by calling the friendly staff or booking an appointment online today.