HEEL PAIN: Six Reasons Why It Isn't Getting Better

At All-in-one Foot Care Center, heel pain is a serious problem that we take very seriously. Every day, we see how it can make a healthy and happy person feel miserable and unable to walk. In this post, we will be sharing six reasons why heel pain doesn't go away.

Read this first to understand what causes heel pain and how it's treated.

YOU ARE TREATING THE SYMPTOMS, NOT THE CAUSES
For the past two months, you have been taking painkillers and anti-inflammatories as needed, but your heel pain still persists. Does this sound familiar? For us, it certainly does.

People tend to treat just the symptoms of heel pain with medications when they approach self-management of their heel pain. However, while that gives you some much-needed relief, it is only temporary and does nothing to fix the underlying problem. As a matter of fact, doing everything as normal as possible while you are on the meds may actually worsen your injury.

When we are in pain, our bodies are actually telling us "Hey, something's wrong, take it easy, let's be careful". It is in your best interest to avoid doing the action/activity that will cause pain so that your body can heal. Instead of removing the warning sign, you remove your ability to feel it and then wonder why the wound has not healed after months.

It is imperative that you do not just treat the symptoms of the problem, but also treat the cause of the problem. Thus, you'll reduce the chances that the problem will occur again in the future.
THE SAME THINGS ARE STILL BEING DONE, BUT YOU'RE EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS
As the saying goes, "same action, same result.". Different actions yield different results. Continuing to do Crossfit, run, work out at the gym, and walk 5km to and from work while you expect that damaged tissue will recover quickly and completely may not come as a surprise.

Each step you take stretches and engages your plantar fascia - and even more when the intensity of the activity increases. The modification of your activities or maintaining your fascia and arch throughout your required activities must be an essential part of your rehabilitation.

If you are concerned with your foot health, your podiatrist will assist you - but it's important that you follow their recommendations and don't fall back into old habits based on 'she'll know best' thinking.
(MISDIAGNOSIS) YOU'RE TRYING TO HEAL THE WRONG PROBLEM
This is for those who have not yet been diagnosed by a health professional for the source of their heel pain. Dr. Google is your best friend when you have pain; we get it. However, there are many disorders that can cause similar symptoms. We can imagine that all of the following issues can also cause heel pain and specifically plantar fasciitis heel pain:

** Stress fracture of the calcaneus (heel bone)
** Atrophy of the plantar fat pad
** A similar insertion point to the plantar fascia can be found on abductor hallucis tendinopathy.
** Sever's disease (growing pain in the heels of children)
** Achilles tendinopathy (can refer to pain from the back of the heel to the bottom of the heel)

It's important to recognize that different problems require different approaches - if you're treating the wrong problem, you could end up treating it for a long time without the results you desire. A Podiatrist, who specializes in foot and leg care, is the best health professional to consult.
YOUR SHOES ARE SETTING YOU BACK
Your shoes serve as your feet ' ground. As a support system, cushions can cushion and give you stability - or they can instead cause you more pain and reduce the effectiveness of other treatments you're undergoing.

You may be losing out on optimizing your recovery - or even hurting it - if your shoes are worn down, unsupportive, completely flat, don't have a strapping mechanism (velcro or laces), or aren't suited for your foot type.

A good pair of shoes is crucial for heel pain recovery, so make sure you wear them as often as possible and make sure you have the right shoes. Yes, even inside the house. Wear them often.
STRETCHES AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES ARE NOT DONE
This might be our number one. Our expectation is that every time a patient comes in for a checkup, the heel pain will be lessening. Unless it does, one of the first questions we'll ask is whether you're exercising. The patients who have not experienced the pain reduction often answer ‘no I’m not’ or rather ‘sometimes yes... maybe not every day... probably not as often as you said. Suddenly there's a lightbulb of an explanation that goes off in our minds, and we have our answer.

The damaged tissue is weak. It requires gradual strengthening. Plantar fasciitis heel pain may also be caused by other tight tissues and muscles like tight calf muscles - which is often an underlying factor. We create a plan that addresses all of the causes of your heel pain such as tight calf muscles, as we want to provide you with long-term relief (that is, so the pain doesn't return days or months later). Stretching them will prevent them from pulling on your heel and affecting your fascia.

From every podiatrist and physiotherapist we've ever met: please do your exercises.
YOU'RE IN IT ALONE
You probably saw this one coming. You don't get the best results when you try to fix your heel pain on your own, without working with an experienced and knowledgeable team. In addition to limiting your knowledge about your injury and the condition more generally, you miss out on advice, tips, and of course the treatments we provide.

Shockwave is an excellent example. With shockwave therapy, we've had great success treating long-standing heel pain (6+ weeks), but it's not available outside of a clinic.

We are here to help if you have heel pain that is not improving. We can be reached in Irvine or Laguna Woods, CA, or you can book an appointment online.

Book an Appointment Now!