Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist) Questions Podiatrist

My heel is hurting?

My heel has been hurting for over a month. It hurts worse in the morning when I wake up and after prolonged rest or walking.

Female | 47 years old
Complaint duration: 1 month

15 Answers

I understand your concern regarding the heel pain you've been experiencing. Given that the pain worsens in the morning and after periods of rest or walking, it could be indicative of a condition such as plantar fasciitis, which is common in your age group. However, there are other possible causes as well, such as heel spurs or Achilles tendinitis.

As a healthcare provider specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, I can help diagnose the specific cause of your heel pain and develop a targeted treatment plan. This plan may include exercises to stretch and strengthen the foot and lower leg muscles, advice on footwear, and possibly other interventions depending on the exact diagnosis.
Plantar fasciitis or heel pain
PROBLEM: An inflammation of the main ligament in the arch where it attaches to the heel bone and supports the foot.
CAUSES: Excessive activity over a short period of time. Flat or high-arched feet.Tight muscles, especially the calf and hamstrings.Poor shoe gear or walking barefoot for prolonged periods of time.
SYMPTOMS: Pain first thing in the morning when getting out of bed and putting the foot down to the ground. With walking the pain usually diminishes. Pain after sitting for a prolonged period of time or getting out of a car and starting to walk. Occasionally burning, numbness, shooting or tingling in the heel. Extreme tenderness to touch the heel or arch region. Commonly associated with lower back pain.
TREATMENT: Avoid going barefooted and good supportive shoe wear. Anti-inflammatory medications to reduce inflammation. Taping the foot to support it and give immediate relief. Custom molded orthotic (shoe insert) to permanently support the foot and prevent re-injury. Frequent stretching of the calf and hamstring muscles to improve overall flexibility. Splinting the foot at night to stretch the muscle in the back of the leg. Occasionally immobilization in a cast or a boot to completely rest the foot. Shockwave therapy if pain persists. Surgery is a last resort to release a small portion of the ligament from the heel.
Pain in the heel that is worse in the morning when first stepping on the foot that can improve after walking for a while only to return the next morning is most likely planter fasciitis. It is commonly considered that the fascia, a band of connective tissue that provides support to the bottom of the foot has been irritated or injured. During the night the injured tissue heels somewhat only to be return in the morning when the first steps are taken.

Though there are multiple ways to address the pain, I typically have found good results by performing an ultrasound guided PRP (platelet Rich Plasma) injection to the injured area in the sole of the foot along with wearing a foot brace (night splint) at night that will keep the foot in Dorsiflexion (foot pulled up) for a few weeks along with stretching the heel cords and also working on strengthening the foot intrinsics and other exercises depending the tolerance. Of course if your going to have to wear a night splint after the injection, it may be worth it to just obtain a night splint and do all the other treatment by yourself prior to going through the injection.

Now possibly the most important task is to identify why it occurred in the first place and address those issues so that you do not have to go through it again. Wish you well!
You may have developed plantar fasciitis and it could be resolved by medical treatment.
Sounds like you have case of plantar fasciitis or heel spurs or both, the definitely way to find a solution is for you to be seen and xray the heel.
That sounds like typical Plantar fasciitis. Best treatment is physical therapy and steroid injections. At home therapy can be Calf stretches, wearing a night splint to keep the foot stretched out at night. Good supportive shoes, an OTC orthotics such as Powerstep is basic and helps the plantar fascia in supporting the arch of the foot.
These are typical signs for plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome, depending on the location of your pain.
You have a heel spur syndrome
Sounds like plantar fasciitis, inflammation of a ligament on the bottom of your heel. Ice, no barefoot walking, and supportive shoes to start.
Sounds like plantar fasciitis. May need X-ray to rule out heel spur.
Sounds like you have plantar fasciitis
Most likely plantar fasciitis. Take over-the-counter Motrin or Aleve as directed. When you can, apply ice to your heel. Get a Spenco Orthotics 3/4 length according to your size available at Amazon. If you still are having pain after a week, see a local podiatrist.

You have Plantar Fasciitis. Pain after periods of rest is a defining feature of this problem. If ice, stretching, and proper shoe gear and orthotics do not help, you should seek the treatment of your local Podiatrist
Probably plantar fasciitis.Try simple insoles(6-7 dollar ones for cushioning),gentle stretching of hamstrings,Achilles,and plantar fascia.An NSAID medicine like Ibuprofen might help with pain control.If symptoms persist see an orthopedic surgeon.As a rule plantar fasciitis tends to linger even for months.
Sounds like you may have plantar fasciitis or heel pain. I recommend you make an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment options