Wondering how we treat chronic heel pain here in Fort Walton Beach, FL?
Heel pain is a common problem, but what happens when the problem doesn’t go away? You’ve been off your feet as much as possible. You’ve taken your hiatus from running. You even ice your feet a couple of times a day. You thought you’d be better by now, but did you know that our Fort Walton Beach, and Crestview, FL, podiatrists Dr. Cosimo Ricciardi and Dr. Neil Patel are experts when it comes to treating chronic heel pain? Chronic heel pain cases may require more aggressive, specialized, and professional treatments than acute cases.
What causes chronic heel pain?
The most common cause of heel pain is an inflammatory foot condition known as plantar fasciitis. Achilles tendonitis is the second most common cause of heel pain. Both conditions are overuse injuries due to repeated stress to the foot, namely the plantar fascia or the Achilles tendon. Many risk factors may predispose you to develop chronic or persistent heel pain including:
- Biomechanical defects or imbalance issues in the foot structure
- Playing sports, particularly high-impact activities
- Those who stand on their feet all day for work or those with labor-intensive jobs
- Improper footwear
- Obesity
- Older age
How is chronic heel pain treated?
Heel pain that persists for months or even years is considered chronic and may require more intensive, professional treatment from our Fort Walton Beach and Crestview, FL, foot, and ankle team. If you’ve tried rest and home care and it’s not enough this is where our team comes in. Other ways in which to treat chronic heel pain include:
- Physical therapy and specialized foot and ankle exercises
- Custom orthotics (specially crafted by our podiatry team) or arch supports
- Night splint
- Shockwave therapy
- Steroid injections (helpful for chronic heel pain caused by heel spurs)
- Surgery (to correct structural defects)
Don’t let chronic heel pain take over your life. Our Fort Walton Beach, and Crestview, FL, podiatrists Dr. Ricciardi and Dr. Patel provide a wide range of services to help you heal from chronic heel pain. To schedule an evaluation, call Emerald Coast Podiatry at 850-862-4119 or 850-682-6522.