Figure out What’s Causing Your Foot Problems and Get Back to What Matters.

If you put your foot through daily abuse, as many of us do when we wear high heels or worn out tennis shoes, then it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that at some point you may experience heel pain. No matter if the pain is mild or severe, chances are good that you may need to visit our Port Washington, NY, podiatrist, Dr. Arthur Kaplan, to figure out what’s going on.

What Are the Causes of Heel Pain?

While there are many injuries or conditions that can lead to heel pain, more often than not it’s caused by one of these issues:

• Plantar fasciitis (the number one cause)
• Achilles tendonitis
• Sprains and strains
• Fracture
• Heel spur
• Bursitis

Both plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis are the results of overuse and lead to inflammation in different areas of the foot. The location of the pain can give you insight into what’s causing your heel pain, as pain that lies under the heel is often caused by plantar fasciitis, while pain above the heel bone is usually the result of Achilles tendonitis. These conditions are common in runners and other athletes.

How Is Heel Pain Treated?

Heel pain can usually be managed with simple at-home care and rest. The most important thing you can do is to avoid high-impact activities such as running and to rest your feet as much as possible until the pain goes away. Even once the pain goes away, you’ll want to slowly get back into your daily activities and regular workout routine to make sure that you don’t cause another flare-up.

Other ways to manage your symptoms until the inflammation goes away include:

• Taking non-steroidal pain relievers to temporarily get rid of pain and swelling
• Stretching the foot and performing therapeutic foot exercises every day
• Wearing a brace or splint to bed to support the foot
• Wearing custom orthotics and properly fitted, supportive footwear

When Should I See a Doctor?

If your heel pain is severe or if you can’t put weight on the heel, it’s important that you visit our foot doctor in Port Washington, NY, as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment.

Of course, if you are dealing with heel pain that doesn’t seem to be easing up or responding to at-home care either, then you should visit the experts at NY Sports Podiatry in Port Washington, NY, as well. Call us today at (516) 883-8313 to see how we can help!