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Three Common Reasons Behind Heel Pain

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In general, a sedentary person may walk only about 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day, but can you imagine doing that when your foot hurts? When you experience pain in your heel, it can be very difficult to get routine tasks done. Foot problems can not only be painful, but they can put you behind when trying to get stuff done. When you haven't experienced any type of foot injury that you know of, but you have a pain in your heel, it is crucial to get to the bottom of it. Here are some of the most common causes of heel pain. 

Plantar Fasciitis

The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. This usually occurs due to problems with the structure of the foot. An example would be an unusually high arch or a very flat foot. When the fascia gets irritated, it can become inflamed which results in the pain you may experience in your heel. Other causes of this condition include standing on your feet for long hours without wearing shoes that have proper support. You also want to keep your weight at bay because the extra weight can also contribute to irritating the fascia.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to help treat plantar fasciitis. If you do experience pain in your heel, you want to make sure you rest your feet for a while. The pain should subside until you need to stand for long hours again. Icing your heel can also help reduce the inflammation. 

Heel Spurs

Another common reason behind heel pain is heel spurs. These are calcium deposits that cause growths on the bottom of your heels. The great thing about heel spurs is that only about 50% of people with heel spurs experience pain from it. A heel spur doesn't have to be painful, and for some people, they don't know they have them until it shows up on an x-ray. When you do have a heel spur, the pain comes from the irritation the spur causes on the fascia. This can result in the plantar fasciitis mentioned above. Heel spurs can be caused by running on hard surfaces, excessive weight, and too much stress on the heel. 

If you do experience pain from heel spurs, you're in luck. There are several ways to help treat the pain. Shock absorbing soles will help reduce the pain in your heel. You can also take over the counter pain relievers to help reduce some of the pain. If the pain persists and is disrupting your daily activities, the heel spurs can be cut out by a foot and ankle specialist

Calluses

Heel pain doesn't always come from the interior of the foot. Sometimes it can be due to the skin on the heel causing the pain. The more friction your heel encounters, the more likely you are to develop calluses on your heels. These consist of rough patches of skin. When the calluses occur, the skin can break and crack, causing the heel to become painful. To help prevent calluses on the heel, you want to make sure you wear shoes that are comfortable and fit properly. You also want to be sure to wear socks with shoes to reduce friction. 


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