home Auditorium 7 Heel pain - causes and treatment. When your heel hurts, what should you do? Other treatments: radiation therapy, splints, surgery

Heel pain - causes and treatment. When your heel hurts, what should you do? Other treatments: radiation therapy, splints, surgery

After physical activity, various unpleasant sensations often occur in the body. So, many beginner athletes often have heel pain after running. This problem should not be ignored, because... it may indicate excessive stress on the body or the development of a number of diseases. Pain syndrome can be eliminated in different ways.

Causes of pain

In most cases, pain occurs due to overuse. Rearfoot discomfort occurs in beginning runners if they exercise more than 4 times a week.

Other causes of discomfort:

Overloaded Achilles tendon. In this case, it hurts to step on the sides of the heel.
Inappropriate shoes. Running shoes should have a sole that thickens towards the heel.
Incorrect foot placement.
Excess body weight. Excess weight increases the impact load on your legs.
Flat feet.

Possible diseases

Plantar (plantar) fasciitis. The pain occurs in the morning or after a long rest. However, it gradually decreases towards the end of the day. Severe discomfort is felt when walking barefoot.
Inflammation of the Achilles tendon. This condition causes constant pain in the upper back of the foot. Unpleasant sensations also occur in the area where the Achilles attaches to the heel bone.
Arthritis. The main symptoms of the disease include pain after exercise and at night, as well as swelling and redness of the heel.
Bursitis. During it, swelling and redness of the skin occurs. Discomfort increases with palpation.
Gout. Pain occurs in the heel, ankle, and near the big toe joint.

If the pain is caused by overuse, the most effective treatment is rest. If you experience discomfort in your heel, experts recommend stopping jogging for 3–4 days. For pain, the following are prescribed:

Physiotherapy. It is the main method of conservative therapy for plantar fasciitis. Exercises should be aimed at stretching the Achilles tendon. They need to be done 3 times a day for 10–15 minutes. With this treatment, the pain should go away within a month.
Shock wave therapy. Prescribed if the pain cannot be relieved within a month. SWT stimulates tissue regeneration in fasciitis.
Using correct orthopedic insoles. They should correct the position of the heel in relation to the tibia and support the inner arch of the foot. It is recommended to buy soft insoles.
. The device fixes the ankle joint and relieves the load on the sole, accelerating the healing process. The retainer must be worn at night. Before purchasing a device, you should consult your doctor. A specialist will help you choose the appropriate orthosis model.

Ways to eliminate pain

Self-massage. Experts recommend kneading the sole with a tennis ball. It must be placed under the foot and rolled on the floor, pressing with your foot.
Cold treatment. Ice should be applied to the sole of the heel for 10–15 minutes. Then take a break for 30 minutes and repeat the procedure. It is also recommended to roll a frozen water bottle with your foot. Cold treatment is carried out 3-4 times in the evening or after a long run.
Corticosteroid injections. These drugs are used if other treatment methods do not help. If this occurs, it is not recommended to do multiple injections. The risk of fascial rupture increases with the use of corticosteroids. These drugs cause tissue atrophy in the heel area, thereby reducing the shock-absorbing properties of this part of the foot.
Hot bath. With its help, muscle pain caused by physical activity is eliminated. It is recommended to take a bath after discomfort occurs.
Cold and hot shower. It should be taken at the first sensation of pain and after each run.

You can also relieve pain with exercises:

Sit down and place your heel on the knee of the opposite leg.
Grasp your leg with your hands at the top, under the toes and in the area of the Achilles tendon.
Slowly pull it towards you until you feel slight pain.
Tighten your foot and imitate the movement in the opposite direction. The hand should resist the movement.
Hold this pose for 5-6 seconds. Relax your leg and pull it towards you for 7 seconds.
Return to the starting position. Feel the painful area with your thumb. Press on it until discomfort occurs. Hold your finger on the painful point for 20 seconds.
Rub the sole of your foot with your knuckles. The movement is performed for 1 minute.
Lie on your back. Raise your leg to a 45° angle. Pull your foot towards you and tense it. Relax. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.

How to run correctly

While jogging, you need to ensure correct body position. The arms should be bent at the elbows at a right angle, and lean back and forth during movement. They cannot be thrown to the sides.

The body and hips should be in line. It is not recommended to land on your heel. The load should fall on the front of the foot. You need to move your legs, imitating the movement of a wheel.

To avoid heel pain, it is recommended to do special exercises after a run. They help to establish the correct technique, strengthen the ankle, Achilles tendon, calf muscle and serve as a good prevention of injuries. Exercises are done while running. Beginner athletes are recommended to do:

Exercises are performed at a distance of 40–50 meters. You need to jog back in the opposite direction.

At the initial stage, it is recommended to run no more than 4 times a week so that your legs have time to recover after the load. The duration of the run increases gradually every week. If severe pain occurs, training should be stopped immediately.

Heel pain can bother anyone, regardless of age or gender. And this does not always indicate any serious illness or injury. To determine the cause of the pain and the advisability of seeing a doctor, you need to pay close attention to your sensations and remember what preceded their occurrence.

Heel pain due to exercise

Painful sensations in the heels are often the result of:

Prolonged foot strain due to new and uncomfortable shoes or too high heels;
Thinning of the subcutaneous fat layer in the heel area from a sharp and significant increase in the amount of movement;
A day spent on your feet;
Rapid growth in body weight.

So if you put on new shoes for the first time, started jogging in the morning, gained weight sharply, or have a standing job, pain in your heels may simply indicate overexertion caused by a suddenly increased load. At the same time, you should not take your feelings too lightly, because then you can overlook the first signs of a serious illness.

Diseases that cause heel pain

Unfortunately, in some cases, pain is caused not just by exercise, but by a serious illness.

Systemic pathologies

Heel pain is sometimes one of the manifestations ankylosing spondylitis. This is an extremely dangerous disease in which a person’s immune system begins to fight the tissues of its own articular-ligamentous apparatus. The result of the disease can be absolute ossification of the spine, its fusion into a monolithic structure. Although this is an extremely rare condition, do not ignore heel pain when standing on a hard surface. It is better to go to the hospital again than to develop a serious illness.

Another dangerous disease that can cause heel pain is rheumatoid arthritis. At the initial stage of this disease, pain appears only when moving, but with the development of the inflammatory process, they can also occur at rest, and can also cause awakening from a night's sleep. If painful heels are accompanied by general symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness, it may be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis.

A disease caused by the deposition of urates (uric acid salts) - gout- can also affect the articular apparatus of the heels (one or both). In this case, redness, swelling and acute pain are observed in response to even light touches. If gout is left untreated, an attack can last up to several weeks, causing significant inconvenience.

Infectious diseases

These include the following diseases:

Reactive arthritis . As a consequence of many infectious diseases, it also sometimes develops in the joints of the foot. The root cause of heel pain in this case is sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.), as well as intestinal ones (salmonellosis, dysentery, etc.). In this case, pain in the heels occurs both when walking and at rest. If, during a night's rest, your heels hurt unbearably, and a number of other symptoms are also noted, such as sore eyes and uncomfortable sensations in the genital area, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.
Bone heel tuberculosis . Sometimes it starts with pain in the heel. With this terrible disease, necrosis of the tissues adjacent to the bone and softening of the bone itself develop, resulting in the formation of a purulent fistula open to the outside. Despite the extremely severe course of the disease, after its most acute phase, stabilization and remission often occur. Naturally, it is very important to identify the disease in time and begin treatment without waiting for its extreme manifestations.
Osteomyelitis of the calcaneus . With it, an inflammatory process caused by a bacterial infection develops in the bone itself and the tissues surrounding it, quickly turning into a purulent-necrotic phase. Like many infectious diseases, osteomyelitis begins with high fever, aches throughout the body and weakness. In this case, the source of inflammation in the heel immediately manifests itself as bursting or boring pain. Swelling, intense redness of the skin, and dilated veins are observed.

Traumatic causes of heel pain

Achilles tendon sprain (rupture) occurs as a result of a strong blow to it or a sharp contraction of adjacent muscles. In this case, very severe pain appears, swelling later develops, and the work of the joint becomes difficult or completely impossible. When palpating, the doctor will most likely reveal a violation of the integrity of the tissues.

An unsuccessful jump on your heels from a height will, at best, lead to I'll hurt you, which manifests itself as a sharp, burning pain. Naturally, when you lean on the sore heel, the discomfort intensifies. If it is impossible to lean on the injured leg at all, then we are talking about crack or fracture of the heel bone, which can be determined even visually by the displacement of the heel. Swelling and widening of the heel are also noticeable, and bruising may occur. The arch of the foot becomes flatter, ankle movements are limited and the mobility of the subtalar joint is completely blocked.

Adolescents from 9 to 14 years old who are actively involved in sports are at risk for epiphysitis of the calcaneus. During the period of rapid growth of the musculoskeletal system, injuries often occur due to excessive stress on incompletely hardened bone tissue. It is in such a situation that a gap occurs between the body and the apophysis of the calcaneus. In this case, the child feels particularly intense pain when walking or running, as well as a decrease in the range of motion of the lower leg. Swelling and hyperthermia are often observed at the site of the rupture.

Oncological diseases

Unfortunately, pain in the heels may also indicate the onset of an oncological process. During development malignant neoplasm in the calcaneus At first, the discomfort is insignificant and occurs only from time to time, then the pain becomes permanent and its intensity increases.

If heel pain can be explained by various reasons, then the next symptom of oncology is obvious - a swelling appears, which then increases. Depending on the type of tumor, it may be hard or soft.

In sick children, the neoplasm grows especially intensively, and there is a severe lack of hemoglobin and cachexia. Sometimes fractures caused by changes in the bones occur, and there is also a vascular network over the tumor. Naturally, at the slightest suspicion of an oncological process, you need to urgently contact specialists.

Inflammatory diseases

Difficult to confuse with anything else bursitis- it will make itself felt with all the standard signs of inflammation. The back of the heel will turn red, swelling, hyperthermia and pain will appear. As the disease progresses, the swelling increases, and if it is protracted, it can become denser.

A fairly common heel pathology is tendinitis (inflammation) of the Achilles tendon. And this is understandable, since it can be caused by:

Excessive tension in the calf muscles, for example when running up or down an incline;
Unusually prolonged or intense exercise;
Uncomfortable shoes;
Excessively high heels;
Frequent change from high heels to shoes with no heels at all.

Tendonitis manifests itself as pain spreading from the heel along the tendon, swelling, redness, and increased temperature in the area of the Achilles tendon. Usually, when trying to jump or stand on your toes, a sharp pain occurs.

In some cases, the inflamed tendon bursts with a characteristic pop, then it becomes almost impossible to move. Timely medical care is very important.

Osteochondropathy of the spongy area of the calcaneus represents necrosis, the cause of which is not infection or inflammation, but a large load during physical activity. Intense pain appears almost immediately after starting to walk, which forces the patient to lean only on his toes. Most often, you can only move with crutches or a cane. This disease leads to atrophy of the lower leg muscles over time.

What diseases are common causes of heel pain?

The vast majority of cases of heel pain are caused by two diseases that are very often confused with each other - plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

Inflammation caused by micro-tears of a special ligament that runs along the sole and supports the arch of the foot. The cause of the disease is overload of the foot or stretching of the plantar fascia. The most typical symptom is pain in the heel in the morning after getting out of bed or after a long rest at any time of the day. At first, the pain intensifies, but after the patient “disperses”, it subsides.

Real heel spur (a spike formed by salt deposits at the site of attachment of the fascia to the heel bone) is much less common than is commonly believed. According to many experts, it can be completely asymptomatic. However, in some cases, intense pain is possible when walking, especially for a long time, associated with injury to the soft tissues adjacent to the spur.

Diagnostic measures for heel pain

The specialist forms an initial opinion about the causes of pain in the heels based on the patient’s complaints. The most complete information is important about what other symptoms are observed, in addition to heel pain: whether there have been injuries or unusual types of exercise, infectious diseases, etc. Based on the initial examination, medical history and conversation with the patient, the doctor will prescribe additional diagnostic measures:

Blood tests - general, biochemistry;
Microbiological analysis if an infectious disease is suspected;
X-ray;
Tumor markers in the presence of symptoms of a malignant tumor;
Serological analysis;
Bone biopsy if necessary to confirm tuberculosis or osteomyelitis.

How to get rid of heel pain?

It is clear that treatment depends on the identified disease that caused the pain. However, with any diagnosis, it won’t hurt to follow a few simple tips:

Control of body weight as one of the main factors in regulating the load on the legs.
Using orthopedic insoles to relieve excess stress on the heels.
Wearing comfortable shoes with low heels (about 5 cm).
Regular therapeutic and preventive exercises.

Why does heel pain occur? (video)

A specialist speaks in more detail about the main causes of foot pain and the optimal treatment regimen in the video:

In the medical reference book you can count more than a dozen diseases that manifest themselves as pain in the foot. However, most often these are not some complex and dangerous pathologies, but minor inflammations, sprains, minor injuries, etc., caused by elementary carelessness. To avoid problems, lead a healthy lifestyle and be attentive to your body's signals.

If your heel hurts, what should you do? This question is most often asked by women who like to walk in high heels and athletes who run or race walk. The causes of heel pain are varied. When your heels hurt, walking or running turns into a very unpleasant activity; there is a feeling of “a nail in the foot,” which becomes more and more unbearable every minute. Let's look at the causes of such pain.

The heel hurts, it hurts to step.

The heel is a shock absorber and can withstand enormous loads during running and walking. A large number of blood vessels and nerve canals pass through it. The bone in the heel is spongy, making the heel very susceptible to injury. Heel pain can occur for many reasons, from ill-fitting shoes to biomechanical problems when walking.

Heel pain: causes.

If it hurts to step on your heel, there may be reasons for this:

Shift of the center of gravity. As a result of injuries, poor posture.
Tendon injuries. Tendon sprains and tears due to excessive stress (high-heeled shoes).
Heel bone bruise.
Diseases or infections.

Doctors believe that most often people present with heel pain due to the following diseases:

1. Plantar fasciitis.

Fasciitis is caused by constant overstrain of the feet, which occurs with a sharp increase in physical activity, or even a change in heel height. The plantar fascia looks like a connective tissue formation that is located on the surface of the foot. Fasciitis is stretching or inflammation of the fascia.

2. Heel spur.

It is formed as a result of chronic inflammation of the fascia. Salt deposits and the formation of a bone growth give rise to pain, which is especially pronounced after a long rest (sleep).

If you completely rule out injuries and salt deposits, but heel pain continues for a long time, then perhaps the reasons may lie in other diseases:

Arthritis(bursitis). With arthritis, the pain increases gradually, especially pronounced in the morning. After a short massage, the pain goes away, but can recur due to overexertion (climbing stairs, etc.).
Inflammation of the Achilles tendon.
Venereal diseases. Often hidden infections provoke inflammation of the heel tendons (reactive arthritis). The pain is constant and pronounced at night.
Gout(Bechterew's disease).

If you suspect you have one of the listed diseases, then only a traumatologist or rheumatologist can help you get rid of them.

Heels hurt: how to treat and what to do in this case.

Due to constant pain in the heel, a person tries not to step on the affected area, as a result of which the gait changes: in an attempt to reduce the load on the heels, the weight is transferred to the toes. But this is a short-term solution, and after a while more serious consequences may appear.

Among the ways to relieve heel pain due to overexertion and sprains, there are quite effective ones. For example, you could try the following:

If you do daily morning jogging or race walking, then you should change these sports to something else, such as swimming or cycling.
Stabilize your weight (if it is overweight). Extra pounds place additional stress on the tendons and muscles of the feet.
For persistent heel pain, it is recommended to use orthopedic insoles, especially for flat feet.
Change your shoes to more comfortable ones. Don't wear high heels.
Do special exercises for your legs.

If your heels hurt sharply, then there are several ways to dull the pain:

Apply ice to the aching area for 15-20 minutes.
Take a painkiller.
The location of the pain can be rub with a special gel or cream.

Exercises that are recommended for everyone who has pain in their legs below the knees and feet (heels).

Roll the ball with your feet, alternating each foot.
Stretch your foot and calf muscles. Stand on your toes, while you can hold on to the back of the chair.
Before going to bed, massage your toes and heels.
Before going to bed, lie down for 10-15 minutes, placing a small pillow or cushion under your feet.

Folk remedies.

Among the medicines that help with such ailments, marsh cinquefoil stands out. You can buy cinquefoil tincture at a pharmacy. It is used both internally and as a compress.

The tincture is taken orally, three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 20 days.
A compress is applied to the heel at night.

Remember that you can avoid heel pain only if you take good care of your feet. If you have any pain, consult a specialist. Remember that self-medication can be dangerous to your health.

This can happen to people of different ages - a child, an elderly person, and a representative of the middle age group. What to do, how to treat?

Restorative procedures and the use of simple aids speed up treatment. This includes rest, wearing good shoes, heel cushions, painkillers and specific exercises. In more severe cases, steroid injections as well as other procedures are recommended.

What is plantar fasciitis

This is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue (ligament) that runs from the heel to the bones of the midfoot area. It supports the arch of the foot and also acts as a shock absorber.

Causes of severe heel pain

This is caused by repeated minor injuries to the fascia (with or without inflammation). These injuries (micro tears), as a rule, occur in places near which the fascia is attached to the heel bone. Overnight they grow together a little, and the strip of tissue shortens. After sleeping and getting out of bed with the first steps, stretching and tearing occurs. That's why your heels hurt especially bad in the morning (then less).

Situations in which you may receive this type of damage:

When you are on your feet for long periods of time or if you walk, run, stand, etc. a lot. in case you are not used to it. (Plantar fasciitis can be confused with bursitis, an inflammation of the fluid in the bursa under the heel bone. It is not as common.) In addition, people with a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to this disease.
If you have recently started doing exercises on a surface that is unusual for you - for example, running on an asphalt road instead of a cinder track.
You wore shoes with poor cushioning or poor arch support.
If you are overweight, this puts additional stress on your heel.
In case of severe or sudden sprain. For example: in athletes who increase training intensity or distance covered; bad technique, etc.
When movement is restricted in the Achilles tendon (the large tendon at the bottom of the calf muscles above the heel). This affects the ability to flex the ankle and increases the likelihood of damaging the fascia.

Interestingly, there is often no obvious reason for the occurrence of the painful condition, especially in older people. A common misconception is that pain is caused by tissue growth or a “spur” in the heel bone.

How common is the disease and who is at risk?

Plantar fasciitis is not a rare occurrence. It happens to every tenth person. It is most often encountered by people over the age of forty. However, this can happen to a middle-aged person or a child. Women suffer from the problem much more often than men. Athletes are also at risk.

What are the symptoms

The main symptom is pain. It can occur anywhere on the bottom of the heel, but the main source is a place about 4 cm from the front of the heel, which is soft to the touch.
The pain is often worse when you take your first steps when getting out of bed in the morning, or after a long period of rest without putting any weight on your leg. Gentle stretching exercises may provide some relief, but walking or standing for long periods of time often makes the pain worse. Rest usually provides relief.
Sudden stretching of the legs aggravates the situation - for example, walking up stairs or on tiptoes. You may even begin to limp from the pain. The problem also occurs in both feet at the same time (not necessarily just the right or left heel).

10 Treatments for Plantar Fasciitis

What to do to relieve foot and heel pain

As a rule, the pain subsides over time when using only auxiliary means and reducing stress. It should be noted that the healing process is not fast. This process may take months. How to speed it up? It is better to practice a combination of several healing methods.

You need to give your feet rest as much as possible. Avoid extra strain, walking or standing, or overextending your feet. Calm walking and the exercises described below are recommended.

You should not walk on the floor barefoot. Choose shoes with comfortable, soft heels and good arch support. Athletic shoes are better than open sandals. Avoid wearing well-worn boots - boots that do not provide enough cushion to the heel.

Heel inserts and instep supports

To alleviate heel pressure and support your arch, invest in soft shoe lasts and insoles. The maximum benefit from them will be if you place them in your shoes and wear them constantly. The goal is to raise the heel about 1 cm. If there is a particularly sensitive area, cut a small hole in the corresponding area on the insole. This way, part of your heel will not touch the shoe. Place inserts in both shoes, even if only one foot hurts.

The condition is relieved by painkillers such as paracetamol. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are sometimes helpful. Compared to the first ones, they not only relieve pain, but also reduce inflammation, which is, of course, better. Thus, it is considered especially useful to rub a cream or gel into the problem area that contains an anti-inflammatory medicine.

Also helping to relieve pain is such a simple and accessible remedy as applying cold to the leg for a minute (for example, a bag of frozen legumes wrapped in a towel).

Regular, gentle stretching of the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia can help relieve symptoms. When you sleep, they heal, tighten and shorten, and when you move, they are injured again (which is why the most painful moment is when you wake up in the morning). The goal of these exercises is to gently release tension in the tendon and fascia above and below the heel. For exercise guidance, the doctor refers the patient to a physical therapist.

How sore heels are treated with steroid injections and extracorporeal therapy

If the above procedures do not help relieve your symptoms, or if you are, for example, an athlete who needs to recover quickly, other procedures are gentle. There is no one specific treatment that can be identified as the best.

Steroid (cortisone) injections are given if the pain does not go away despite taking the above “conservative” measures. This may provide relief for a few weeks, but does not always cure the problem. Steroids reduce inflammation, but their use is not always successful. Sometimes, if the first one does not help, 2 or 3 injections are given within a week. They do carry some risks, including (although rarely) tearing the plantar fascia.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy

In extracorporeal shock wave therapy, the therapeutic effect is achieved through the use of special medical equipment, which produces high-energy sound waves through the skin on the painful area. It is not known exactly how it works, but the therapy is thought to stimulate healing in the plantar fascia. One or more treatment sessions are required.

This procedure is safe, but it is unclear how well it helps. This state of affairs is mainly due to the lack of large, well-designed clinical trials. You should discuss the potential benefits and risks with your doctor.

According to studies, most people who had the procedure had no problems associated with it. However, a number of undesirable effects may occur, including pain during treatment, redness of the skin and swelling of the leg, and bruising. Another theoretical concern is deterioration due to tearing of the plantar fascia or damage to the tissues of the leg. Thus, the method requires additional research.

Other treatments: radiation therapy, splints, surgery

Various studies and trials have been conducted regarding other possible treatment methods for plantar fasciitis. Such procedures include botulinum toxin injections and radiation therapy. These funds are not widely available.

Application of a special splint

In some cases, there is benefit from wearing a special splint applied at night to keep the Achilles tendon and fascia slightly stretched. The goal is to prevent micro-tears in the fascia from healing overnight and causing shortening. In very difficult cases, sometimes a plaster cast is applied or a special removable brace is placed on the shins to allow walking. This provides rest, protection, shock absorption and mild stretch to the fascia and Achilles tendon. However, there is very limited data on the effect of using a splint for treatment.

Its use is considered appropriate in very complex cases. Surgery is usually only recommended if heel pain has persisted for a year, despite other treatments that have been tried. The surgery may also include removing a spur on the heel bone, if there is one. Surgery is not always successful. It can cause complications, so it should be considered as a last resort. Complications include infection, increased pain, injury to adjacent nerves, or even rupture.

How long does it take to treat plantar fasciitis?

Most people recover completely from this disease within a year. However, a number of treatments described above can speed recovery.

How to prevent the problem

There are the following preventative measures that you can practice to avoid heel problems. Moreover, you should pay attention to them if you have already had this before. These include:

Regularly change the sneakers you run and walk in.
Wear shoes with sufficient heel cushioning and good arch support.
Losing body weight if you are overweight.
Mandatory stretching of the fascia and Achilles tendon, especially before training.

Heel pain after running - causes and treatment

Unfortunately, sports, especially professional ones, are often not without injuries. Every athlete who is a serious runner sooner or later encounters foot injuries. The heel is the most vulnerable part of the foot.

Causes of heel pain after running

Let's look at the main causes of pain:

Uncomfortable shoes

To ensure that sports activities bring only pleasure, you need to choose the right shoes.

sneakers should not have seams that irritate the skin;
sneakers should breathe well;
give preference to flexible soles;
hard back prevents slipping;

Violation of running technique

Running is one of the most accessible and popular sports. More and more people are starting to engage in this sport. Many beginners place their feet incorrectly while jogging. As a result, various injuries and diseases can occur. In order to avoid health problems, you need to master the correct running technique.

Example of incorrect running technique:

active swings of arms;
all attention is directed to the heel.

At the same time, athletes believe that this technique allows them to increase their running speed. However, in practice everything is not so simple. As a rule, the speed remains unchanged.

Sports shoe manufacturers are constantly modernizing sneakers. Manufacturers are changing the design of shoes to reduce the likelihood of heel injury. But the efforts of the manufacturers are in vain.

What mistakes do beginners make (athletes who have incorrect running technique):

the leg is thrown sharply forward;
The foot suddenly hits the ground.

Thus, a thick sole increases the load. In this case, painful sensations are concentrated in the foot and heel.

In order to speed up, you need to gradually increase your running speed.
The legs must be suspended in the air.
Landing is done on the forefoot (toe).
The legs should be periodically “rested.”
The leg should not be thrown forward.

Benefits of proper running technique:

running speed increases significantly;
Running range is significantly increased.

Impaired functionality of the Achilles tendon

Violation of the integrity of the connective tissue fibers of the tendon with dysfunction can lead to serious diseases.

Functionality of the Achilles tendon can occur for various reasons:

uncomfortable shoes;
long distance running (overtraining);
muscle strain;

Traumatic tendon injury

A tendon rupture is a fairly serious injury. Because a gap can lead to disability. Complete tendon rupture is more common than partial tendon rupture.

plantar flexion is impossible;
defect in tendon integrity;
acute pain.

The main treatment method for traumatic tendon damage is surgery.

Arthritis

Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. With this disease, gradual damage to the joint occurs. The main symptom of this disease is aching joints. There are eight types of arthritis. The risk group is people over 40 years of age.

the use of various techniques that relieve muscle spasms;
taking various ionized solutions that contain trace elements.

Arthritis has an infectious nature. Athletes often suffer from arthritis.

How to recognize this disease:

Attacks may occur in the morning and evening.
Progression of pain syndrome.

In order to improve the clinical picture, it is necessary to use a special therapeutic massage.

Infections

Osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis is an infectious bone disease. It can affect various bones, including the heel. As a rule, this infection begins to develop when pathogens penetrate bone tissue.

After this, the inflammatory process begins to affect all elements of the bone. This infectious disease may be accompanied by osteonecrosis.

If the acute form of the disease is not treated, then chronic osteomyelitis may occur.

veins are dilated; - the skin may acquire a reddish color; - acute pain (localized in the affected area); - high temperature (39–40 degrees); - weakness; - muscle pain

Bone tuberculosis. Bone tuberculosis is one of the most severe diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This infection occurs in conditions of hematogenous dissemination of the tuberculosis process. Bone tuberculosis can affect different parts of the musculoskeletal system.

Causes of bone tuberculosis:

stress;
starvation;
poor living conditions, etc.

if necessary, surgical treatment is prescribed;
taking various anti-tuberculosis drugs;
special orthopedic treatment;
fight against bad habits;
proper nutrition (nutrition).

If the inflammatory process stabilizes, then remission occurs.

List of infectious diseases that can lead to the development of arthrosis:

Diagnostics

First of all, diagnosis begins with an assessment of the patient's complaints. What might bother the patient?

swelling of the foot;
redness of the foot;
backache;
joint pain, etc.

Let's consider the main diagnostic methods:

Puncture bone biopsy. This diagnostic method is prescribed for suspected osteomyelitis and other infectious diseases.
Serological analysis.
Research on tumor markers.
X-ray examination. X-ray is the main diagnostic method.
Microbiological research.
Blood test (general and biochemical).

Which doctor should I contact?

If you experience heel pain, then you need to consult the following doctors:

Perhaps the attending physician will refer you to other specialists for consultation.

Treatment and prevention of heel pain

If your heel hurts for a long time, you should consult a doctor for comprehensive treatment.

How to quickly reduce pain?

apply anti-inflammatory cream;
Apply a piece of ice (you need to keep it cold for 20 minutes).

Every day you need to perform therapeutic exercises.
You need to wear comfortable shoes.
People suffering from flat feet need to wear orthopedic insoles.

Heel pain - causes and treatment

Heel pain due to exercise

Painful sensations in the heels are often the result of:

Prolonged foot strain due to new and uncomfortable shoes or too high heels;

Diseases that cause heel pain

Unfortunately, in some cases, pain is caused not just by exercise, but by a serious illness.

Systemic pathologies

Heel pain is sometimes one of the manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis. This is an extremely dangerous disease in which a person’s immune system begins to fight the tissues of its own articular-ligamentous apparatus. The result of the disease can be absolute ossification of the spine, its fusion into a monolithic structure. Although this is an extremely rare condition, do not ignore heel pain when standing on a hard surface. It is better to go to the hospital again than to develop a serious illness.

A disease caused by the deposition of urates (uric acid salts) - gout - can also affect the articular apparatus of the heels (one or both). In this case, redness, swelling and acute pain are observed in response to even light touches. If gout is left untreated, an attack can last up to several weeks, causing significant inconvenience.

Infectious diseases

These include the following diseases:

Reactive arthritis. As a consequence of many infectious diseases, it also sometimes develops in the joints of the foot. The root cause of heel pain in this case is sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.), as well as intestinal ones (salmonellosis, dysentery, etc.). In this case, pain in the heels occurs both when walking and at rest. If, during a night's rest, your heels hurt unbearably, and a number of other symptoms are also noted, such as sore eyes and uncomfortable sensations in the genital area, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.

Traumatic causes of heel pain

A sprain (rupture) of the Achilles tendon occurs as a result of a strong blow to it or a sharp contraction of the adjacent muscles. In this case, very severe pain appears, swelling later develops, and the work of the joint becomes difficult or completely impossible. When palpating, the doctor will most likely reveal a violation of the integrity of the tissues.

An unsuccessful jump on your heels from a height will, at best, lead to a bruise, which manifests itself as a sharp, burning pain. Naturally, when you lean on the sore heel, the discomfort intensifies. If it is completely impossible to lean on the injured leg, we are talking about a crack or fracture of the heel bone, which can be determined even visually by the displacement of the heel. Swelling and widening of the heel are also noticeable, and bruising may occur. The arch of the foot becomes flatter, ankle movements are limited and the mobility of the subtalar joint is completely blocked.

Oncological diseases

Unfortunately, pain in the heels may also indicate the onset of an oncological process. With the development of a malignant neoplasm in the heel bone, at first the discomfort is insignificant and occurs only from time to time, then the pain becomes permanent and its intensity increases.

Inflammatory diseases

It is difficult to confuse bursitis with anything else - it will make itself felt with all the standard signs of inflammation. The back of the heel will turn red, swelling, hyperthermia and pain will appear. As the disease progresses, the swelling increases, and if it is protracted, it can become denser.

A fairly common heel pathology is tendinitis (inflammation) of the Achilles tendon. And this is understandable, since it can be caused by:

Excessive tension in the calf muscles, for example when running up or down an incline;

Osteochondropathy of the spongy area of the heel bone is necrosis, the cause of which is not infection or inflammation, but a large load during physical activity. Intense pain appears almost immediately after starting to walk, which forces the patient to lean only on his toes. Most often, you can only move with crutches or a cane. This disease leads to atrophy of the lower leg muscles over time.

Why do my legs hurt? Causes of leg pain.

What diseases are common causes of heel pain?

The vast majority of cases of heel pain are caused by two diseases that are very often confused with each other - plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

Real heel spur(a spike formed by salt deposits at the site of attachment of the fascia to the heel bone) is much less common than is commonly believed. According to many experts, it can be completely asymptomatic. However, in some cases, intense pain is possible when walking, especially for a long time, associated with injury to the soft tissues adjacent to the spur.

Diagnostic measures for heel pain

Blood tests - general, biochemistry;

How to get rid of heel pain?

It is clear that treatment depends on the identified disease that caused the pain. However, with any diagnosis, it won’t hurt to follow a few simple tips:

Control of body weight as one of the main factors in regulating the load on the legs.

Why does heel pain occur? (video)

A specialist speaks in more detail about the main causes of foot pain and the optimal treatment regimen in the video:

My child's heels hurt after training

Apophysitis of the calcaneus in children

A person’s feet and heels perform an important shock-absorbing function; thanks to this structure of the feet, a person can move on two legs. But if pain appears in the foot area, this may be a sign of a serious pathology that requires treatment.

There are many causes of pain in the feet; if heel pain occurs in a child, then this may be a sign of apophysitis of the calcaneus. This pathology causes a lot of inconvenience to the child; he cannot walk or exercise normally, so at the first signs of the disease, the child must be shown to a specialist.

Definition

Calcaneal apophysitis is an inflammatory disease that occurs before the age of 14 years. In a child, all bones have cartilaginous layers called growth plates, including in the heel area. In adults, cartilage is replaced by bone tissue, the bone becomes solid.

Inflammation in the heel

During the active growth of a child, the bones lengthen, and the muscles that cannot keep up with it become tense, resulting in tension in the Achilles tendon. If the child is also subject to increased physical activity, inflammation and pain occur in the heel area.

Most often, the disease occurs in child athletes, and its exacerbation occurs in the autumn, when the child returns after the summer holidays and begins to actively train. In general, calcaneal apophysitis does not cause serious complications, but it can cause very severe pain, so the pathology requires attention.

Causes

As a rule, the disease does not appear for any specific reason, but is a consequence of the impact of several negative factors on the child’s body:

Increased physical activity, frequent training. In children under 14 years of age, the heel bone is not yet formed, so the loads should be selected according to age.
Rapid growth of the child. This feature occurs in many children; in this case, a sharp growth of bones occurs, resulting in overstretching of the muscles and Achilles tendon.
Congenital pathologies of bone tissue, serious skeletal diseases.
Lack of calcium in the body.
Large excess weight. In this case, the unformed bone constantly undergoes enormous loads.
Incorrectly selected shoes. In this case, very tight shoes that rub and press can provoke the disease. If you have the disease, you should not wear ballet flats, sneakers or other flat-soled shoes, as the pain will worsen.
Incorrect gait, when the child does not stand on the entire foot, but mainly on the heel, as a result of which the load on it increases.
According to statistics, boys aged 7 to 14 years are more susceptible to the disease.

Symptoms

The disease is manifested by the following symptoms:

Quite severe pain, which is localized at the back and sides.
The pain goes away with rest and intensifies with physical activity.
There is swelling in the sore spot, but it is small. With bone injuries, swelling and pain can also be observed, but these symptoms are more pronounced
If the pain is severe, the child will limp and take care of his leg.

Diagnostics

Pathology on X-ray

Despite the pronounced symptoms, only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis. It is worth understanding that heel pain can also occur due to injury, for example, if a child lands poorly when jumping on his heel.

To identify the cause of the pain, the patient is sent for an x-ray; it is carried out in several projections to examine the heel bone in detail from all sides. This study helps to identify any abnormalities in the affected area and prescribe the correct treatment.

Treatment

Apophysitis of the calcaneus is treated only with conservative methods. First of all, the patient is advised to remain calm and active training is prohibited during the recovery period. Massage and special physical therapy are also prescribed, this will help relieve pain and speed up recovery.

It is worth understanding that physical therapy is prescribed individually, taking into account the child’s condition, and a specialist monitors the exercises. Loads should be minimal, and you can start training only after prescribing exercise therapy; until then there should be no amateur activity.

An equally important part in the treatment of calcaneal apophysitis is shoes; they must be properly selected. Special orthopedic insoles can be useful here, they will relieve the heel and relieve pain when moving. It is forbidden to wear shoes with flat soles, since in this case the pressure on the heel is maximum.

If the child is experiencing severe pain, then drug treatment is indicated. As a rule, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example Nurofen (Ibuprofen), are prescribed to relieve pain and inflammation. The child is also prescribed vitamin complexes to quickly restore the affected area.

For heel apophysitis, the intake of ascorbic acid, calcium, and vitamin D is indicated. The child is also recommended to have a proper and balanced diet, but preference should be given to dairy products, fish, vegetables and fruits, and the consumption of sweets, salty and junk foods should be greatly limited.

During the treatment period, physical therapy is also prescribed; it will help get rid of inflammation faster and relieve pain. Calcaneal apophysitis is often treated with balneotherapy, that is, therapeutic salt baths. In this case, baths according to folk recipes, with herbal decoctions, also help well.

Folk

Folk remedies are often used for calcaneal apophysitis; they help to quickly relieve pain and inflammation and alleviate the condition. But it is impossible to cure the disease with folk recipes; therapy must be comprehensive and under the supervision of a specialist.

Before using the product, you need to make sure that the child does not have an allergic reaction to it, and you should not apply external ointments and decoctions to damaged skin. The following remedies will help relieve pain from calcaneal apophysitis.

Contrasting baths have a wonderful effect. To do this, hot and cold water is poured into 2 basins, but it should not be icy or too hot. Then the child puts his feet in hot water for 5 minutes, transfers them to cold water for 10 seconds, and again to hot water for 1 minute, then again to cold water for 10 seconds, and again to hot water for a minute. In general, the duration of the procedure is no more than 15 minutes.

A warm salt bath helps with heel pain; to prepare it you need to use natural sea salt. The duration of the procedure is minutes.

Another effective remedy is a warm compress of potatoes and lugol. It is necessary to boil the potatoes and mash them into a thick puree, then add lugol to it and mix quickly. Place the warm puree in a bowl and place your heels in it for 5-7 minutes, and after the procedure, put warm woolen socks on your feet.

Horseradish root is very effective for heel pain. It is crushed in a blender or on a grater, and the resulting pulp is applied to the heel for 2 hours, the product must be secured on top with cling film and socks must be put on.

A compress with radish also helps with heel pain. To prepare them, take black radish, wash it well and grate it, apply the pulp to the heel and wrap it with cling film, put warm socks on top and leave for 3-4 hours.

You can remove the inflammatory process with a compress of salt, honey, and iodine. For one bottle of iodine take 1 tbsp. honey and 1 tsp. salt. The product is mixed well and applied to a napkin, then applied to the sore spot for several hours, secure the product with cling film on top and put on socks.

If, while using a folk remedy, a child complains of a strong burning sensation, the skin should be rinsed with running water and the recipe should not be used again. If rashes and itching appear after using the product, you should definitely consult a doctor for advice and abandon traditional medicine recipes.

Recipes (video)

Prevention

It is quite possible to prevent the occurrence of the disease; to do this, you must follow the following recommendations:

Choose the right shoes for your child, not too tight, preferably made from natural materials and not with flat soles, but with small heels.
If a child plays sports, training should not be too intense; exercise should be done taking into account the child’s age.
Sports children should definitely massage their feet in the evening after training to normalize blood circulation in the feet and prevent tissue destruction.
Swimming is a good prevention of bone diseases, so it is recommended to send children to the pool.
A child's diet should be healthy and balanced; overeating and weight gain should not be allowed. If a child is obese, you need to contact a nutritionist as soon as possible and begin treatment according to his recommendations. Putting your child on a diet on a whim is not recommended; it can be dangerous.

In general, disease prevention is a healthy lifestyle and moderation in everything, that is, in food, in sports. Parents need to understand that there must be a golden mean in everything, and the child will achieve success even with less intense training, and there will be no harm to health.

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Sports medicine doctor: “What to do if a young football player has heel pain”

Friends! We decided to expand the “Question and Answer” section. As you know, in it our football expert answers questions from parents related to certain aspects of raising young football players. From today in this section we will also touch upon medical issues.

You all know how dangerous a sport football is. But not all of you, including coaches, can take the right steps to prevent injuries in a timely manner. The process of recovery after damage is also important. We will try to answer all these questions. And Dr. Vladimir Pireyev will help us with this.

Brief information. Vladimir Pireyev is a doctor directly related to sports. He works at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Sports in the department of children's sports medicine, and also supervises all age groups at Nikolai Murashko's football school.

We will start with one of the most common injuries, which in young football players is called “Heel pain”, but in professional medical language “Heel spur” or “Plantar fasciitis”.

What is a “heel spur”? How to identify it? How to treat and what methods of prevention?

With this pathology, micro-tears occur in the area of attachment of this fascia to the heel bone, the fascia becomes inflamed and therefore pain occurs.

Excessive stress on the foot due to too intense training;
High load on the heel area, for example, with flat feet;

The ligaments of a child's foot are not yet strong enough to withstand increased loads for a long time. Therefore, children who play sports or who grow quickly are always at high risk of developing heel spurs, as well as developing flat feet.

First of all, the child will be bothered by heel pain in the morning or after exercise. The pain may gradually subside after walking. It can also occur when you press on the area of inflammation.

What methods of prevention exist?

There are special exercises that, I believe, are necessary for every child.

The exercises are based on stretching the same “heel fascia”, as a result of which the fascia becomes stronger and more elastic;
A very important component is the warm-up, during which the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are warmed up, which, with the help of the Achilles tendon, participate in the tension of the “calcaneal fascia”.

Place your palms on the wall and place your feet one behind the other - as if you were standing on a rope. The sore leg is behind.
Without lifting your heels off the floor, squat down, bending your knees until you feel a stretch in the lower shin of the leg that is behind you. Hold this position for a second, then repeat the exercise. This is a warm-up exercise.

Several books are placed on the floor in front of the wall so that their height is approximately 5-6 centimeters. Stand with your toes on them so that your heels hang over the edge. Place your palms on the wall and lean toward the wall so that you feel the tension in the lower part of your shins. Stay in this position for seconds. Then you need to straighten up and lift on your toes without lowering your heels below the support surface.

Take a tennis ball and roll it, pressing it with your foot, so that it rolls over the entire arch of the foot.

The most important thing is shoes!

Teach your child to wear high-quality and comfortable shoes without flat soles! Also use orthopedic insoles primarily for flat feet! Protect your children from excessive physical activity!

In the treatment of heel spurs, various methods of physiotherapy are widely used: magnetic therapy, laser therapy, electrophoresis.

Apophysitis of the calcaneus in a child, treatment methods

In our world, health occupies a central place. An important element of the health of the entire human body are the limbs, especially the heels and feet, since they have special points that connect like threads with every human organ.

The heel is the so-called shock absorber when walking. Therefore, you should not ignore pain and expect that everything will go away without treatment. The sensitivity of the heel is caused by many nerve endings and capillaries. It is often difficult to independently find out the cause of heel pain without qualified diagnostics. In any case, prolonged heel pain is a signal that the body is malfunctioning and requires seeking help from specialists who will help find out the cause and cure this ailment.

Calcaneal apophysitis is one of the common diseases in children aged 10 to 14 years, which progresses in the center of the heel bone.

How to recognize calcaneal apophysitis in a child?

Apophysitis is one of the causes of heel pain. Such a diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a thorough examination, but the symptoms of the disease are manifested in the following:

Pain sensations are usually concentrated in the posterior and lateral lobes of the heel. Very rarely, pain is present in the lower part of the heel bone.
When the legs are at rest, the pain stops, or even disappears completely. However, as soon as the legs experience heavy loads, such as when playing sports, the pain intensifies.
Heel pain can be caused by inflammation or injury to the bone. In this case, the inflamed area is felt to the touch, but is not swollen; swelling is visible.
In some cases it can lead to lameness.

Causes of the disease

Each disease is caused by its own unique cause. The causes of apophysitis in children are the following factors:

Great physical activity. In children under 14 years of age, the heel bone is just beginning to form and is therefore the weakest area of the foot.

Repeated stress while walking or, more commonly, playing sports (jumping and running on hard surfaces) causes inflammation and severe pain in the heel.

Rapid child growth. In this case, there is a sharp growth of bones (including the feet). Against this background, chronic overstrain of the calf muscles and Achilles tendons associated with the heel bone develops.
Avitaminosis. Deficiency of vitamins, namely calcium in the body.
Pathological congenital abnormalities of the skeletal structure, leading to tissue deformation.
Uncomfortable tight shoes cause the development of various pathologies, including this disease. If a child has a tendency to this disease, then incorrectly selected shoes can cause acute pain. Wearing shoes that are too tight and flat is not recommended.
Obesity. Excess weight often leads to this disease.
Serious skeletal or other diseases. This disease may be a consequence of another more serious disease.
An individual feature of gait, when the load is not distributed evenly over the entire foot, but falls on the heel area.
Predisposition. As a rule, boys suffer from this disease more often than girls.

How to treat apophysitis in children?

When a patient goes to the hospital with acute heel pain, the doctor conducts a full examination before starting treatment: examination, x-ray, blood test. After determining the causes and establishing a diagnosis, a course of treatment and physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed.

For diseases such as apophysitis or tendon rupture, the following treatment is prescribed:

a course of vitamin therapy;
complete rest for the legs;
limiting physical activity;
therapeutic exercises - performing specially designed exercises and massage;
quartz irradiation;
balneophysiotherapeutic procedures;
drugs that will help overcome the pain barrier (in the form of medicinal ointments and creams) during pain - mild analgesics, in children with frequent pain - ibuprofen;

Wearing arch supports, changing everyday shoes to a more comfortable, orthopedic model that will not rub your feet and will ensure their correct position.

protecting the heel from pressure by bandaging;
foot baths;
paraffin;
shortwave therapy;

Preventing heel pain

The diet must include foods that contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals;
Periodically take a course of calcium supplements;
Dosed physical activity;
Healthy lifestyle and hardening;
Standardized daily routine and proper rest.

It is possible to completely overcome the disease after the two zones of bone growth are connected to each other. As a rule, the recovery process is long and sometimes very painful. There are also a number of obstacles in playing sports and everyday activities; this is necessary to avoid reloading on the heel and further complications. As a result, despite the favorable prognosis, conservative treatment cannot be avoided. It is also worth noting that children do not have any long-term complications associated with the disease.

Heel pain is painful to step on, how to treat it with a doctor and at home, causes of pain

Heel pain is an unpleasant phenomenon that deprives a person of joy and prevents him from fully enjoying life. Adults and children can suffer from this problem. Some people are bothered by unpleasant sensations in their feet in the morning, and during the day they only sometimes remind them of themselves. Other people complain that their heels hurt when walking, after running, or at night. What reasons can provoke discomfort in the back of the foot? How to get rid of heel pain using traditional methods?

When the heels are constantly or regularly burned with fire, this reduces the quality of life, because with every step a person feels unbearable discomfort and severe pain in the foot. What are the causes of this condition? Why do my heels literally start to burn with pain? The causes of painful feet can be different: chronic pain, infectious diseases, injuries to the foot, ankle, problems with the tendon above the heel. This phenomenon also sometimes occurs due to external factors, when eliminated, the discomfort in the foot goes away. This:

wearing high-heeled shoes;
staying on your feet for a long time;
rapid and significant increase in body weight;
formation of cracks and calluses on the foot;
depletion of subcutaneous fat reserves in the heel area with sharply increased physical activity, which sometimes leads to pain in this part of the foot.

Why do the heels of my feet hurt in the morning? A common cause of this problem is plantar fasciitis, which often results in heel spurs. This disease occurs when there is constant trauma to the plantar ligaments caused by wearing tight shoes. Regular and prolonged stay in uncomfortable shoes or boots that constrain the feet does not allow the tendons and ligaments of the arch of the foot to function normally (relax/contract), which provokes the occurrence of microtraumas.

With constant damage to the anatomical structures of the foot, deposits of calcium salts may occur at the points of attachment of the ligaments to the bones. This leads to the appearance of a bone osteophyte (heel spur). If a bump appears on the heel, the pain will bother the back of the foot or be localized on its side. Obesity is also a cause of plantar fasciitis.

As your body weight increases, your feet begin to experience additional pressure. This causes poor circulation in this part of the leg, leading to the appearance of microcracks, the growth of the heel bone and the formation of a lump. Often this disease occurs in patients with flat feet, diabetes, athletes (from intense training) and pregnant women. With plantar fasciitis, sharp pain on the inside of the foot and in the heel area occurs in the morning, and then subsides slightly or completely during the day. Why is this happening?

While you rest at night, microcracks formed during the day on the inflamed part of the fascia attached to the back of the sole grow together, which shortens their surface. During the first steps after waking up, micro-tears of the ligaments again occur, which causes acute pain. Then the discomfort subsides, but sometimes returns during the day. In the morning, pain on the back of the sole can also be caused by other diseases. Arthritis, caused by inflammation of the tissues of the foot, causes discomfort in the heel after you wake up. Foot massage helps relieve such pain.

It hurts to step on your heel when walking or after running

If a person constantly feels that it hurts to walk due to discomfort in the heel, this may indicate a serious illness or injury. Then, to eliminate discomfort in the foot, it is necessary to correctly diagnose and treat the root cause of this phenomenon. After a long walk, the heels of the feet may “burn” due to the developing inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which is located on the leg above the heel. If the back of the foot constantly or regularly hurts when moving, the following diseases may also be the cause:

Ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis.
Bone tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, reactive arthritis of the joints of the heel bones, which occurs against the background of a genital tract infection.
Plantar fasciitis, osteochondropathy of the calcaneal tuberosity, Achilles tendonitis.
Malignant bone tumors.
Diabetes.
Sprains, tendon ruptures, heel bruise or heel bone fracture, Sever's disease.

Why do heels hurt so much inside during pregnancy?

While pregnant, women often experience foot pain. The cause of discomfort in the heels is often the increasing body weight of the expectant mother. During pregnancy, the center of gravity changes (it moves forward), and this can lead to increased stress on the feet and heel pain. As a rule, these problems go away with the birth of the child. Uncomfortable shoes or a sudden change from the high heels you were used to before pregnancy to low-heeled shoes are also causes of heel pain. Still sharp pain in the heel may indicate salt deposits or a spur.

Causes of pain in a child

Children aged 7-11 years may experience regular heel pain. As a rule, in this case, doctors make a diagnosis of Schintz disease. This disease indicates a violation of the ossification process of the tubercle of the heel bone. It often affects only the heel area of the left or right leg, but more often develops on both legs. The causes of Schinz disease in children can be: constant heavy load on the foot, disruption of hormonal levels or the process of calcium absorption by the body, vascular diseases, heredity, microtrauma in the heel. The following symptoms are characteristic of this disease:

heel pain that worsens with movement;
swelling on the heel;
difficulties with flexion/extension of the foot;
increase in local temperature;
lameness;
redness of the skin on the heels.

If your heels hurt, consult a neurologist, rheumatologist or traumatologist. The specialist will carefully examine the problem area and ask a series of specific questions to determine the presence or absence of certain symptoms. After establishing an accurate diagnosis, a qualified doctor will advise you on the best exercises to perform to relieve pain and take medications. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe anti-inflammatory medications and/or orthopedic shoe inserts to help relieve heel pain.

What to do at home when your heel is cracked

Heel pain is often caused by cracks in the back of the foot. They can appear as a result of lack of regular sole care, lack of vitamins in the body, or metabolic disorders. Uncomfortable shoes are a common factor that provokes the appearance of this phenomenon on the heels. How to treat such cracks at home? Folk remedies will help restore the skin. Medicinal plants are used to prepare baths and compresses. Here are the most effective folk methods against cracked heels:

Compress with onions. 10 minutes before the procedure. soak your feet in warm water with 1 tsp. soda Chop a small onion and transfer the resulting pulp into a napkin, apply it to the heel, wrap it in film, wrap it with a bandage on top and leave it overnight. In the morning, wash your feet, treat the soles with pumice and spread with rich cream. Perform this procedure on your heels 3-5 times in a week.
Compress with cabbage and honey. Beat a leaf of the plant a little, spread it with honey, sprinkle it lightly with flour and bandage it to the crack in the heel. In the morning, carry out the procedure as described above. The course of treatment is 4 days.
Vaseline for cracked heels. Before resting at night, make a warm foot bath at the rate of 4 tsp. boric acid per 1 liter of water. After this, dry your feet, generously smear the cracks on the heels with Vaseline, and stick a patch on top of the painful areas. Leave it for a day. Do this procedure for your heels every other day for 8-12 days.
Potato bath. Steam your soles before going to bed in a decoction of potato peels or use a bath for this with the addition of 2 tbsp. l. potato starch per 1 liter of water. Then treat your heels with pumice, spread cream on them, and put on socks. Do the procedure until the cracks in your feet disappear.

Heel baths. Combine three liters of hot water with 3 parts of ammonia, 1 tbsp. l. soda, 1 liter of decoction/infusion of medicinal herbs (chamomile, elecampane, calendula or nettle). Steam your feet for 20 minutes. After this, lubricate the heels with salicylic ointment 2% or olive oil or cream.
Heel bath with St. John's wort and apple cider vinegar. Pour 1 tbsp with two glasses of water. l. herbs, boil, cool. Pour in 2 tbsp. l. vinegar. Strain the mixture and add to the water for a foot bath. After the procedure, treat the feet and heels as in step 5.
Flatbread with aloe and onion. Knead the dough with the following ingredients: 1 part aloe, 1 part fish oil, 1 part onion juice, 1 part flour. It should be a cake. It is applied to the heel and secured with a bandage and sock. Leave it overnight, and in the morning remove it, wipe the foot with a decoction of oak bark/calendula tincture.

Folk remedies for treating heel pain

An effective remedy for heel spurs and the pain they cause is Sabelnik tincture. This medicine is sold in pharmacies, but it is not difficult to make it yourself. For treatment take 1 tbsp. l. tinctures and add 1/3 cup of water. Drink the drug three times a day for 2.5 weeks. Then the drops are not taken for 10 days, and treatment with Sabelnik is repeated again. Compresses with this tincture give a good healing effect. If your heel hurts, try the following folk remedies:

Baths with salt. Prepare a hot solution at the rate of 300 g of sodium chloride per 1 liter of water, and steam your heels in it for 30 minutes. For injuries and osteoporosis, this treatment method is not recommended.
Pour red pepper into a sock, put it on, wear it all day.
Pour vodka (1:1) over dried lilac flowers and leave for 10 days. Rub the resulting tincture on your heels.
Combine 5 g of mumiyo with 100 g of honey, dissolve this composition in a water bath. Apply the resulting product to your heels and feet before going to bed.

Boil the potatoes and mash them with your feet until they cool. Afterwards, wash your feet with warm water and draw a grid on the heels with iodine.
Chop the garlic and apply the resulting mixture to your feet for 4 hours.
Alternately applying heat and cold to it helps to quickly relieve pain in the area of the back of the foot. This procedure is easy to do if you place two bowls with ice and hot liquid next to each other.
Place one egg in a container with vinegar essence and do not remove it for 10 days. Then take it out, peel it, grind it, mix it with 40 g of oil. Rub your feet and heels with this mixture.

Prevention measures

Heel pain brings many problems and significantly impairs the quality of life. These troubles can be easily prevented with the help of special prevention. It includes simple rules, hygiene procedures, and a healthy lifestyle that will help maintain healthy feet. Let's consider the main recommendations of doctors for the prevention of heel pain:

Eat a balanced diet rich in protein and plant components. This will help prevent metabolic failure and the occurrence of diseases leading to heel pain.
Avoid sudden weight gain.
Don't exercise if your heels or feet hurt. If you experience foot pain during exercise, stop exercising.
Wear only comfortable shoes so that they do not put too much pressure on your foot and heel.
If you have previously suffered from heel pain, consult a specialist about the advisability of wearing orthopedic insoles.
Do not forget about regular care of your feet and heels using special products.
Massage your feet daily, including stroking your feet and heels.