What To Do About Heel Pain – Part Two

Heel pain affects nearly a third of all Americans. While most of the time this heel pain can be eliminated with a little rest, there are times heel pain can indicate a more serious condition. For more about the most common causes of heel pain, check out  Part One in this series. In this second installment, we cover when it’s important to go to the doctor, and what you can do to optimize and speed up heel time.  

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When To See The Doctor

• If you experience severe pain and swelling near your heel.
• If you find you have an inability to bend your foot downward or bring it up while walking.
• If your heel pain is accompanied by other symptoms, such as numbness or tingling in your heel, or a fever.
• Severe pain immediately following an injury should lead to a quick visit to the doctor.
• Heel pain that continues, even when you’ve had time to rest and avoid walking or standing.

Self-care for Heel Pain

Most heel pain goes away on its own. However, some heel pain is a sign of something more serious. To help you tell the difference, assess heal pain after you’ve done some self-care to see whether it helps to significantly alleviate pain.

Rest. The best thing you can do, whether or not you think your foot is injured or just tired, is to rest your foot. Avoid anything that causes pressure or stress on your heel, such as running, standing for an extended period of time, and walking on hard (non-carpeted) surfaces.  

Ice. It doesn’t matter if it’s frozen peas, a steak, or real ice. Just get your heel cooled off in 15-20 minute increments, three to five times a day.

New Shoes. The wrong shoes and shoes that fit incorrectly are the most common cause of heel pain and irritation. This is especially true for athletes and people who stand and walk for long periods.

Better foot support. Shoes are their own category, but socks and insoles also add to or eliminate heel pain. If new shoes aren’t an option, try a couple different types of over-the-counter orthotics, custom orthotics, or socks with different levels of support and seaming.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. A little pain medication may be warranted just to help the pain fade away, but should always be taken according to the label. Because most heel problems are caused by inflammation, and anti-inflammatory medication can help to reduce inflammation and pain. If the pain and inflammation comes back after a few days, check in with your physician.

Heel pain is typically something that can be addressed with just a little self-care. However, some heel pain is indicative of something more serious. To help you decipher which is which, watch for these signs that mean a doctor’s visit is warranted, and protect yourself with self-care.