There are several muscles and bones that work in tandem with each other to enable locomotion, but it is our heels that serve as the primary contact patch between the body and the surface that we are walking on, albeit through footwear in most cases. Most of us experience heel pain at some point or the other in our lifetime, and if the statistics are to be believed, this is one of the most common ailments that we suffer from.
Our heels are a padded mass of fatty tissues that are supported by the calcaneus, or the heel bone, as it is more commonly known. The surprising fact about the human heel is that they don’t get deformed, irrespective of the regular stresses that they are subjected to, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need to be looked after or cared for from time to time.
In this blog, we will be taking a look at some of the main causes of heel pain, how we can avoid them, and what are some of the most-effective heel pain treatment procedures out there. So, let’s get started.
The significance of heel pain.
Although we have encompassed the entire phenomenon under a single term, it must be pointed out that heel aches can occur in a large number of different manners, and the causes behind each one of them can be pretty varied as well. Moreover, it must be understood that the aches don’t affect a single spot of the heel exclusively, and these variations are caused by the different factors that are causing the heel ache.
It has been noted that the intensity of the pain being experienced varies massively as well, and while some may disappear after a couple of minutes, others might force us to resort to medications before they show any signs of slowing down.
Causes of heel pains and aches.
As aforementioned, heel pain is caused by a plethora of factors, but some of the most common ones that deal us a great deal of agony are as follows:
- Sprains and strains- When it comes to heel aches, sprains and strains prove to be some of the most common causes there are. These are naturally-occurring injuries that our bodies experience on a daily basis, inflicted mostly by physical activities like working out, running, stretching, etc.
- Fractures- In several cases, it is our feet that bear the brunt of accidents and injuries, and while they are designed to withstand heavy loads, sudden impacts may result in fractures. These fractures are some of the primary factors that result in heel aches in humans and must be treated on a priority basis.
- Achilles Tendonitis- The Achilles Tendon attaches our heel bones to their respective calf muscles, and in certain cases, these may get inflamed due to reasons such as overuse, thereby causing intense heel aches. The good part about such aches though is the fact that heel pain relief can be carried out quite easily.
- Arthritis- As far as heel ache causes are concerned, this is one of the most complicated ones to cure. The various types of ailments like rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis, etc. call for urgent medical attention and care for effective remediation.
- Bursitis- Bursaes are fluid-filled sacs that reside around our joints, and if they do crack due to certain particular reasons, they can prove to be a potential cause for heel pains in humans.
Besides the aforementioned factors, there are a few other reasons and causes as well, but in most cases, they turn out to be a variation of the said issues themselves. Fortunately, there are a number of methods and activities that can help you keep pain at bay, and that too without the use of external medications, and that’s something that we will be taking a look at here.
Heel pain relief and prevention.
There are a number of activities and techniques that you can focus on if you are looking to stem the arrival of heel aches or limit the effects of one that is already bothering you, and here are some of the most effective ones.
- A good quality shoe that offers a decent fit can help defend against heel issues.
- Stretching and warming up before exercise sessions and sporting events can help defend against injuries and cramps.
- Keeping your overall body mass in check is one of the best ways of restricting the occurrences of heel aches as well. Since the entire body weight is subjected to these tissues, the lower mass would certainly help with heel pain relief and treatment.
- Consuming a healthy diet on a regular basis can help strengthen our bones and muscles, thereby reducing the chances of experiencing such pains as well.
Now, these heel pain relief measures must help you get rid of the stresses and pains in most cases, but if you feel that such niggling issues have grown to become a recurring thing, there are a number of effective heel pain treatment measures that you can explore in 2023, so let’s take a brief look at some of the most important ones there are.
- Getting adequate rest is one of the best ways in which such pains can be dealt with.
- OTC medicines like painkillers and anti-inflammation drugs can be used as well.
- Nowadays, there are several shoe accessories like gel inserts that are designed to protect against heel pain, so that is something that you can employ on a regular basis as well.
If these methodologies don’t yield the desired results, you can consider going for an orthopaedic examination. Here, thorough tests like X-Rays would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the heel pain that you are experiencing, and once determined, the heel pain treatment can be started. Some of the main methodologies used to cure the pain here are therapies, OTC medications, and in certain extreme cases, surgeries. A good diagnosis and treatment process should help you recover from the pain in a safe and effective manner.
Final take:
Effective heel pain treatment can be achieved only when you possess a fair understanding of what lies beneath the surface, and that’s something that we have tried to explain here. Causes like rheumatoid arthritis and fractures may require urgent medical attention, and to that end, we would suggest consulting a top-notch orthopaedic doctor today.