Suffering from chronic heel pain? The Foot & Ankle Group of Bordentown, Columbus, and Mount Laurel, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA are committed to relieving your suffering and getting back on your feet as soon as possible.

When To See a Podiatrist for Heel Pain

Your feet are small but complex parts of the body. Every day you get up and in every move you make, your feet are with you. As they are so busy supporting you, it’s common to experience foot and heel pain from time to time. How do you know, though, when it’s time to seek help? The team at The Foot & Ankle Group of Bordentown, Columbus, and Mount Laurel, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA answer this question below.

Understanding Pain In Your Heels

Proper foot mechanics dictates that the heel is the first part of your foot to hit the ground as you walk or run. Sometimes, this means stepping on something you don’t notice, like a pebble or a child’s toy. Such incidents can create some pain, but it will typically go away pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, some people live with ongoing pain in their heels, which could be caused by one or more of the following:

• Fracture
• Heel spurs, which are small bony growths
• Plantar fasciitis, which is an overuse injury of the band that runs along the bottom of the feet
• Achilles tendinitis, which occurs when the tendon at the back of the leg is injured
• Bursitis, which occurs when the small sac of fluid in the joint becomes inflamed

Any of these issues can worsen with time, especially without proper treatment.

When To See a Podiatrist

In general, any time pain in the lower legs or feet is interfering with your life, you should seek help. At minimum, visit your podiatrist if you notice any of the following:

• Stabbing pain in your heel
• Any pain that doesn’t go away with rest and activity or shoe modification
• Swelling or warmth in or around the heel
• Instability when walking
• Pain when you get up in the morning but that subsides after moving around for a few minutes

If you’re living with heel pain, let our team at The Foot & Ankle Group in Bordentown, Columbus, and Mount Laurel, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA identify the underlying cause and provide the most effective treatment options for your needs. You can schedule an appointment by calling our Mount Laurel office at (856) 234-0195, our Philadelphia office at (215) 332-5300, our Bordentown office at (609) 291-0960, or our Columbus office at (609) 298-7000.