It is not uncommon to experience pain in the heels or feet, which causes discomfort and prevents you from doing your usual activities. In this case, you should not only familiarize yourself with common situations and their solutions, but also pay attention to going to an experienced specialist, because without medical care there is no way around it, as this may be a sign of a serious problem, which cannot be dealt with at home at home, and can only be made worse. In another article, read about how to cure it.
The article collects the main problems associated with heel pain and suggests known solutions to them, but this information is offered for informational purposes only.
Why and what to do if the heels of your feet hurt - folk remedies
For heel pain, knotweed or burdock helps a lot. The grass is placed in shoes or socks, which are not removed throughout the day. Compresses made from grated potatoes or grated black radish along with the peel also help relieve pain. Compresses can be done at night by wrapping your leg in a plastic bag and wearing socks.
What to do if your feet and heels hurt, how to treat them
The cause of pain in the feet and heels of the feet may be primarily excess weight, inactive lifestyle, flat feet or incorrectly selected shoes. Relieve pain syndrome foot massages, baths with crushed ice(only the heels are immersed in the water), as well as rolling the feet of a small ball.
Medicines and pain-relieving ointments should be prescribed by a doctor.
Why do your heels and calves hurt? Reasons
Pain in the calves can be caused by heavy physical activity. Also, the cause of pain in the calves may be hidden in the feet - if a person has flat feet, or vice versa, the instep is too high, and he long time wears uncomfortable shoes. Sometimes the pain is caused by a tear or inflammation of the Achilles tendon, inflammation of the veins, or narrowing of the arteries. In general, a doctor's verdict is required.
Why does the heel on my left foot hurt when walking, treatment with folk remedies
People associate heel pain with heel spurs. Sometimes 30-minute compresses of kefir or warm boiled crushed potatoes with the addition of a tablespoon of kerosene help to calm it down.
Why do the heels and feet of both legs hurt in the morning in men?
Pain in the heels and feet of both legs in the morning are symptoms of inflammation of the plantar fascia, resulting from the accumulation of salts in the area of inflammation. This leads to the formation of a bone growth, popularly referred to as a heel spur.
Pain with this disease can bother you not only in the morning, but also after a short rest. If you do not consult a doctor, the condition will only get worse.
Why does your heel hurt? It hurts to step on how and how to treat it
Except external reasons(uncomfortable shoes, excessive stress, bruises) heel pain can be caused by plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, rheumatism, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. Take the survey and get the answer to your question.
Why do my heels hurt so much if it's not a spur?
In most cases, heel pain, if it is not a spur, can occur for several reasons, namely due to:
- incorrect posture;
- standing on your feet for a long time;
- significant physical activity;
- load associated with carrying heavy loads;
- injuries and sprains of tendons.
Why do heels hurt from running, shoes, heels, standing work, cold, flip-flops?
Heel pain is caused by constant overstrain of the arch of the foot, especially when the shoes are incorrectly selected, heels are too high or excess weight (obesity). Symptoms of heel pain are also inherent in a number of diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, osteomyelitis and injuries - tendon sprains, ruptures, bruises and fractures.
Why do your heels hurt if you stand, stand, or walk for a long time after a long walk?
You can find out the cause of heel pain from a surgeon, neurosurgeon, traumatologist, orthopedist, neurologist, since there are more than enough reasons for this - heel spurs, arthritis, tendon injuries, plantar fasciitis, etc.
Why do pregnant women experience heel pain during and after pregnancy?
During pregnancy, the growing fetus causes a woman to involuntarily lean back. Naturally, the greatest load falls on the heels, which is why painful sensations arise in them. This is fine.
Causes of heel pain
Heel pain (painful to step on) is an extremely common complaint that can be caused by several reasons. Need to put the most accurate diagnosis so that appropriate treatment can be selected. If you have heel pain, the reasons may be:
- Plantar fasciitis is the most common condition that causes heel pain. It occurs due to irritation and inflammation of the tough tissue that forms the arch of the foot. General symptoms diseases include heel pain when walking or standing for long periods of time.
Heel spurs usually occur with chronic plantar fasciitis in an advanced form.
Tarsal carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the tibial nerve, which runs from the calf to the foot.
- Heel bone fractures are a fairly rare cause. This injury is usually caused by hitting the heels during a fall while standing from a height.
It happens that the heel hurts (it hurts to step on it) in athletes, for example, long-distance runners.
Posterior achilles bursitis causes pain behind the heel. The cause may be inflammation of the synovial bursa.
Heel hurts - it hurts to step on: when to see a doctor
If you are unsure or do not know the cause of your symptoms, you should contact your doctor for specific advice. If your heels hurt, treatment should be based on an accurate diagnosis. Some signs that you should visit a doctor:
Inability to step on the affected leg.
Heel pain that occurs while resting or at night.
The pain persists for several days.
Swelling or discoloration of the back of the leg.
Signs of infection including fever, redness, temperature.
Any other strange symptoms.
Heels hurt: treatment
Treatment depends entirely on the cause of the disease. Therefore, it is imperative that you know the diagnosis before starting treatment. You should not self-medicate. Be sure to consult a doctor so that he can conduct an examination and prescribe medications and procedures. Some common treatments for heel pain are listed below:
Peace. Avoid jogging, prolonged standing and walking. Rest usually relieves the most severe pain and reduces inflammation.
If your heel hurts (it hurts to step on), then apply ice packs. Cooling can help minimize some symptoms and control pain. In addition, it has a particularly beneficial effect during an exacerbation.
Exercises and stretches are designed to relax the muscle tissue surrounding the heel bone. Sometimes a few are enough simple exercises performed in the evening or in the morning to help patients feel much better.
- Anti-inflammatory medications help both with heel pain and reduce inflammation. Medicines are usually sold without a prescription.
Boot inserts are often the key to successful treatment heel pain. Orthotic shoe insoles sometimes allow a person to continue daily activities without heel pain.
Heel hurts, it hurts to step on, how to treat it - one of the common problems, especially among women. At improper treatment You can harm yourself. Therefore, if you are planning to start treatment on your own, without the help of a specialist, read the medical information and only after that apply the treatment methods in practice.
The causes of pain in the heel area can be very different. Let's look at the most common of them:
- Arthritis is the process of inflammation in the tissue that runs along the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. In this case, the pain increases over time. The peak of pain occurs in the morning when it begins. When you stand for a long time, the pain intensifies again. When the leg becomes hypothermic, the inflammatory process inside the tissue intensifies, and the pain becomes stronger. It is almost impossible to stand on your toes with arthritis; a sharp, acute pain immediately appears.
- Inflammation of the Achilles tendon. If your legs, especially your heels, hurt while walking, this may indicate an inflammatory process in the so-called Achilles tendon. With the Achilles tendon, the source of pain is located under the heel on the side of the sole or above it.
- Reactive arthritis - sexually transmitted infections. They can cause pain in the foot area. Inflammatory process heel tendons can provoke the presence of a hidden infection. With this type of arthritis, heel pain is constant. The pain may not subside even at night.
- Plantar fasciitis is a hardened formation in the connective tissue. By constantly wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes, you can thereby cause an inflammatory process in the sole area. Plantar fasciitis can cause heel spurs due to salt deposition in the area of inflammation.
- A heel spur is a chronic process of inflammation of the fascia of the sole. Often, a growth on the heel causes severe pain. Sharp pain occurs in the morning when getting up, then by lunchtime it decreases. However, after a long period of rest, for example, if you sit for a couple of hours, it intensifies again, causing even more suffering. The soles of the feet with a spur need to reduce the pressure of body weight, so for this purpose, be sure to wear soft slippers at home.
- Reactive arthritis - sexually transmitted infections can cause pain in the feet. The inflammatory process of the heel tendons can provoke the presence of a hidden infection. With this type of arthritis, heel pain is constant. Even at night the pain may not subside.
- Constant stress on the structure of the foot as a result of wearing high-heeled shoes for a long time can also cause pain in the foot area.
- The heel bone experiences additional stress due to increased body weight in a short period of time, therefore overweight is one of the causes of heel pain.
- Overexertion of the feet associated with long walking and other stress also provokes heel pain.
If your right or left foot suddenly hurts for no apparent reason, you must take measures to stop the inflammatory process in time. You must first find out the causes of the disease.
It should be remembered that although some people treat any pain using only advice traditional medicine, consultations and appointments of a specialist should not be ignored. Whatever the cause of the inflammatory process in the heel area, do not follow traditional medicine methods without a doctor’s recommendation and do not use steam baths for your feet. If you use such methods, you will not only harm yourself, but also increase the pain inside the foot. Warm compresses also increase the inflammatory process. Do not use alcohol or mustard compresses under any circumstances.
In this case, iodine mesh is also useless and destructive. IN in this case it can only burn tissue.
In case you still arranged steam bath or a warm compress for a toga and you have a large red spot or a slightly swollen leg, you should not treat it yourself at home, but seek help from a doctor.
Some simple recipes in order to relieve pain at home before seeking qualified help.
- Take an anti-inflammatory tablet. This will not only relieve pain for a certain time, but will also have a neutralizing effect on the inflammatory process in the foot area.
- Be sure to rub in some inflammatory ointment (Nise, Ketonal, Fastum-gel, etc.) at night.
- In case of severely disturbing pain, place your foot under an ice stream, shower, or simply apply a piece of ice to the area of inflammation for half an hour.
For 1 hour, make a compress with Demixide and Novocaine. In order to make a compress, you will need sterile cotton wool, foil or regular plastic bag, bandage and solutions of Demixide and Novocaine. Mix 30 mg of Demexide solution with 50 mg of Novocaine. Moisten cotton wool with the resulting solution and apply to the site of inflammation. Then wrap your leg with foil or polyethylene and secure the compress with a bandage.
The relatively inexpensive gel Dicloran Plus will also provide effective assistance. It is enough to apply it at night, on the foot and put a sock on the foot. Or you can make a compress with it for half an hour, wrapping your leg and cling film. Don't worry about the burning sensation, but remember not to leave the compress on for more than 30 minutes.
Kuznetsov applicator. Despite much skepticism, Kuznetsov’s applicator is capable of having a great healing effect on the feet. Standing on a mat (Kuznetsov applicator) allows you to dull the pain and stimulate nerve impulses. It is especially good to stand on it in the morning, immediately after waking up, when the peak of pain in the legs is noted. If the pain intensifies while using the applicator, then you should not use it.
Shock wave therapy is the most successful method that will gradually help relieve pain symptoms in the heel. SWT helps relieve inflammation, get rid of bone growths and improve blood circulation in the affected area. In order to sign up for UVT procedures, the doctor will ask you to take a general blood test, serological analysis(rheumatoid factor) and x-ray of the foot. Based on the results of the research, you will be prescribed the required number of procedures. Remember that it is not recommended to undergo the shock wave procedure more than 14 times, since calcium in the bone is destroyed under the influence of the shock wave. If your clinic does not have UVT, you can replace this procedure with ultrasound, ultraviolet light, UHF therapy and magnetotherapy.
Be sure to give yourself a massage in the morning. By stretching the tissues of the foot, you improve its blood circulation. The pain rate after sleep is reduced due to the manipulation.
If you play sports, especially dancing or running, you need to postpone training for an indefinite period of time or choose gentle ones. physical exercise(swimming, Pilates, yoga). If you do not give up the load, the inflammatory process in the foot will only intensify.
If the cause of your heel pain is quickly acquired weight, go on a diet and do Pilates, yoga or regular walking. Your legs, like the rest of your body, suffer from accumulated fat mass. Joints and connective tissues They are not yet so accustomed to your new build, so the weight puts pressure on them. In this case, you should definitely give up high heels and wear more comfortable shoes to reduce the pressure on your foot.
Under no circumstances should you wear high-heeled shoes if you have any inflammation in your feet. You should not wear such shoes even if you are of normal weight. While you have an inflammatory process, it is recommended to wear shoes with heels that do not exceed 5 cm. By following these recommendations, you will thereby relieve the stress on your heels.
For prevention, orthopedists advise purchasing orthopedic shoes or insoles. Although not everyone will be delighted with orthopedic shoes, the insoles will not be conspicuous to anyone, and you will feel lightness in your feet while walking. Order orthopedic insoles You can go to any pharmacy or specialty store. While you are waiting for insoles to be made for your feet, you can purchase gel insoles at any shoe store and walk around with them. The effect, of course, will not be immediately noticeable, however, thanks to the softness and texture, you will relieve stress and immediately feel relief in the first hours.
There is a whole set of exercises that have a positive effect on strengthening the tendons, joints and tissues of the foot:
- Cycling is an exercise that is familiar to all of us from childhood. Lie on your back, legs parallel to the floor, arms along your body. Start imitating riding a bike with both feet. Do the exercise as correctly as possible: with each rotation of your leg, stretch your toe and heel.
- Path of health. It is best to purchase special rugs or collect small pebbles. Lay out pebbles or spread a rug and walk back and forth along this health path for 10 minutes, 5 times a day.
- Take a small ball, maybe a children's ball or a tennis ball, and start rolling it alternately with both feet.
- Remember your physical education lessons at school: start walking in a circle, first standing on your toes, raising your arms, then placing your hands on your hips, start walking on your heels. Then start walking around the outside and inside stop. When racing walking, be sure to do the exercise in special shoes.
- Place small objects (buttons, beads, etc.) in front of you and, using your toes, begin to lift them from the floor. Efficiency this method is that when performing this exercise, the upper ligaments of the foot begin to actively move, thereby increasing their flexibility and improving blood circulation.
It is recommended to engage in physical therapy even in the absence of such symptoms. Only this is best done in sneakers and other sports shoes with thick soles. It is necessary to use such shoes in order to provide shock absorption. Very often, a large number of injuries and inflammations occur due to the fact that a person performs a set of exercises without shoes or in shoes that do not provide shock absorption. Czechs - not the best suitable look shoes for active sports.
Drastic ways to treat spurs
Unlike other causes of foot disease, spurs can be eliminated quickly and easily.
Removal of spur growths on the foot has long been carried out using a laser.
Treatment must be prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his supervision, because despite the general harmlessness of the laser, it has a great effect on the body. Along with this, the procedure has a large number of contraindications. The spur itself is not removed using a laser, but the laser acts on the tissue around it, relieving pain and reducing swelling, resulting in the foot getting rid of acute pain when walking or standing for long periods of time.
In cases where neither laser nor other above methods help, surgical method removal of the spur.
The main function of the heel bone is shock absorption. The heel is highly sensitive due to the fact that it contains a large number of blood vessels and the nerve endings that go through it to other parts of the foot. Therefore, with any, even the most minor damage, a person feels pain.
For active and productive people, heel pain when walking can be a real challenge, preventing them from achieving their goals. But even if a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, heel pain in the morning after sleep can cause a lot of problems.
In order to somehow alleviate your plight, you must first understand what caused this pain, and only then take action. further actions. Why do the heels of the feet hurt and how to treat them? Let's try to figure it out.
Causes of heel pain when walking
What could it be and how to treat it? Many people experience heel pain when walking, but do not pay attention to it, believing that it is the result of hitting the hard surface of the ground. A false assumption causes many problems in the future, as diseases, causing the symptom, continue to progress.
Let's look at the main causes of pain:
- . This is an investigative reason chronic inflammation fasciitis of the sole. With this disease, the foot area accumulates calcium salts, which subsequently forms bone spur. As a rule, this stage is accompanied by a weakening discomfort in the foot. However, in the morning there is pain in the heel area when walking. Depending on the location of the spur, both the heel of the left and the right foot may hurt.
- Fascial strain. The long ligament supports the shape of the foot and provides shock-absorbing properties to the arch. After doing exercises such as running and jumping, you may feel overtrained. The foot needs rest, but shoes with insufficient supination cause inflammation of the plantar fascia, namely fasciitis. The heel hurts a lot, especially when walking in the morning, when a person just gets out of bed and the fascia stretches. Chronic injuries and stretching leads to overgrowth bone tissue at the base of the heel bone - the appearance of a spur. It further increases pain during exercise and walking.
- Bursitis is a disease causing inflammation tissue running along the foot connecting the heel bone to the toes. The inflammatory process is characterized by increasingly increasing pain, especially severe in the morning. You can soothe the pain with massage, but if you step on your heel, the pain will inevitably return.
- Achillitis. The inflammatory process in this anatomical education occurs due to constant loads on calf muscles(climbing hills, jumping), wearing uncomfortable, compressive shoes and walking in high heels. The disease is characterized by pain in the projection of the tendon, and along its entire length. In addition to this, in mandatory pain occurs above the heels of moderate intensity and swelling of the tendon itself. In the absence of treatment and reduced immunity, it may occur purulent inflammation Achilles tendon, then the pain above the heel becomes more intense, to the point that the person cannot take a step. In addition to this, inflammation can reach such a level that tendon rupture may occur. This condition requires emergency medical attention.
- Heel pain can be caused by: spinal diseases, especially him lumbar region, often occurring with symptoms of sciatica. This pain is familiar to many, because its focus is located in the lumbar region, then passing through the buttock area, back wall hips, going down to the heel. The main signs of pain are a feeling of numbness and tingling in the thigh.
- . This disease has an infectious etiology and is provoked by pathogens such as Yersinia, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, etc. Characteristic features In addition to pain in the heels, there are symptoms of inflammation - swelling, redness, increased local temperature.
- Some infections, including genital infections. In many cases hidden infections cause reactive inflammation of the heels. Sometimes it is possible to determine by individual signs infectious nature inflammation of the tendons of this part of the foot.
- – salts accumulate in the body uric acid. They provoke sharp pain, swelling. One or more joints become red, hot, and sensitive to even slight touches. Depending on the location, the heel of the left or right foot hurts.
Causes of heel pain when walking that are not caused by diseases:
- First of all, if while walking you have painful sensations in the heel, you need pay attention to your shoes, this is especially true for women who love high heels. This is the most dangerous enemy of the foot. When wearing such shoes, the feet are constantly overloaded, as a result of which severe shooting pain in the heel may occur when walking.
- Permanent being on your feet all day. By the end of the day, the legs become tired and a person may feel pain in the heels when walking.
- Stable obesity or sharp set weight and in a short time it helps to increase the load on the feet.
- Heel bone bruise. As a result of injury, neighboring tissues may become inflamed, and when walking there will be strong pain. The symptoms are the same as for a tendon injury. Within a week, the injury site will turn red, then blue and yellow. Symptoms increase gradually.
- Atrophy of the subcutaneous fat pad in the heel occurs as a result of sudden weight loss or increased daily motor activity coupled with physical overload.
As you can see, there are many causes of heel pain when walking, including after sleep. Therefore, it is important to consult a specialist if such signs occur. Indeed, in each individual case, treatment will differ depending on the cause, so it is worth conducting a diagnosis to find out what it could be.
Diagnostics
Before figuring out how to treat heel pain when walking, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the symptom, as well as determine the cause of its development. As a rule, to make a diagnosis, it is enough for an experienced specialist to:
- patient complaints;
- patient's medical history (presence or absence of previous pathologies, injuries);
- examining the foot for any changes in it;
- X-ray examination will give a clear picture of specific changes in the presence of certain diseases.
In some cases, this information may not be enough; you may need additional research :
- (possible leukocytosis, increased ESR with ankylosing spondylitis).
- biochemical blood test: increase in uric acid in gout.
- microbiological tests to exclude the presence of bacteria affecting the development of rheumatoid arthritis;
- bone puncture for further histological examination is carried out to exclude bone tuberculosis or oncology.
To eliminate heel pain, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease that led to this symptom. Although painkillers (ketorol, etc.) can temporarily relieve you of discomfort, you will not get rid of heel pain without eliminating the cause. Therefore, at the slightest painful manifestations, you should consult a doctor and begin treatment of the underlying disease as soon as possible.
How to treat heel pain when walking?
When heel pain occurs, treatment consists of medication and physiotherapeutic methods, resting the foot, massage and physical therapy. Permanent use special insoles reduce pressure on the bothersome area of the heel.
At home, heel pain when walking is treated with the help of such medications:
- – Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, Meloxicam. Corticosteroid injections are sometimes required (for example, for rheumatoid arthritis).
- Ointments - “Diclofenac”, “Voltaren”, “Ketorol gel”, “Butadione”, “Piroxicam gel”.
- Folk remedies: ointments, decoctions, soothing baths and anti-inflammatory lotions.
Additionally, a tight bandage is used and shockwave therapy sessions are performed. During the treatment period, the load on the foot should be limited. Physiotherapeutic approaches, massages and special exercises also often help. At the same time, the heel practically does not hurt when walking by the end of the day.
I have heel pain, which doctor should I contact?
Depending on whether there was an injury, doctors - therapist, traumatologist, orthopedist. You may need to consult specialists in the following specialties: neurologist, surgeon, oncologist, phthisiatrician.
If you are not sure about the cause of the pain, you can make an appointment with your local physician. After the examination, he will refer you to the right doctor.
Prevention
As is known, better disease prevent it rather than treat it later. Therefore, to prevent the occurrence painful sensations in the foot area you can do the following:
- Wear comfortable and properly fitted shoes. The heel is no higher than four centimeters, the shoes should not put pressure.
- At home, do leg exercises: bend and straighten your feet in a sitting position for two minutes. You can also take a simple tennis ball and roll it along the floor with your feet. Perform the exercise for 5-7 minutes for each leg.
- Eat right and take measures to combat excess weight.
- Take contrast baths with herbs.
- Walk barefoot on the grass and sand at the beach.
The most important thing is that you cannot assume that heel pain is caused by walking will pass on one's own. It can only get worse and develop into other, more serious illnesses. Therefore, if pain occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor.
The human heel, along with the rest of the foot, performs a shock-absorbing function. She experiences heavy loads every day. Therefore, it is not surprising that she is especially prone to injury. In addition, many blood vessels and nerves pass through it, which is why any damage to it causes so much discomfort. If a person has it on his right leg, then only a doctor can find out the causes of this condition. The symptom can either be associated with severe overload or signal complex diseases developing in the body. You should not try to cope with the problem on your own. Such actions very often lead to aggravation of the situation.
Unpleasant sensations in the right heel is a common symptom that accompanies many various diseases. Such pain may appear:
- in women who constantly wear uncomfortable high-heeled shoes;
- in professional athletes;
- in people suffering from flat feet;
- in people who spend long periods of time standing.
However, it is not only heavy loads on the heel that can lead to this symptom. Sometimes, if a person constantly has pain in the heel of his right foot, then following reasons can cause this condition:
Most often, pain in the right heel is associated with a heel spur. In this case, calcium salts accumulate under the skin of a person. They, being deposited in the heel area, provoke the formation of a growth. He, in turn, begins to put a lot of pressure on soft fabrics, causing pain. Their intensity is especially pronounced in the morning. When getting out of bed, a person experiences severe cutting pain when walking. During the day the symptom subsides a little, and after sleep or a long rest it intensifies again.
Diagnosis of pain in the heel of the right foot
Doctors strongly do not recommend tolerating such a symptom. If a person has pain in the heel of his right foot, then it is important to quickly find out the causes of this problem. Will help with this comprehensive diagnostics. A patient who contacts a doctor with similar complaints will be prescribed the following procedures:
| Diagnostic technique | Time | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| General analysis blood | 10 minutes | 80-95% |
| Blood sugar test | 10 minutes | 80-95% |
| X-ray of the ankle joint | 10 minutes | 50-60% |
| Ultrasound of soft tissues | 20 minutes | 85%-99% |
| MRI of the ankle | 20 minutes | 85%-95% |
Only after studying the data obtained can the doctor say why the heel on the right foot hurts and determine the exact reasons. After this, he has the right to begin treatment. For each patient, the specialist develops individual plan therapy. This takes into account the patient’s condition, his age and physiological characteristics.
Which doctor treats heel pain?
If such a symptom appears, a person should urgently seek help. medical care. If the heel on your right foot hurts badly, the following specialists will help you find the cause:
At the first appointment, the specialist will examine the patient and listen to all his complaints. To obtain a more detailed picture of the disease, the doctor will check with the patient.
