Heel Pain

Heel Pain Signs & Symptoms

Heel pain has increased in frequency over the years. As our society ages, we are trying to stay more active. Heel pain has become a major problem in America, with over 10% of the population afflicted with the condition. Symptoms tend to be relatively consistent, with pain most prevalent in the morning after sitting. As time goes on, the pain can often intensify during the day.

What Causes Heel Pain?

Heel pain can be bought on by many different conditions such as arthritis, infection, trauma or a neurological condition. However, the most common causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis, heel bumps, tarsal tunnel syndrome and heel bursitis.

Prevention and Treatment

It’s important to have this treated, not only because of the pain, but also because of the changes in gait heel pain can cause. We have found that when the foot or especially the heel, as the primary shock absorber, is no longer functioning properly, inevitably you compensate when walking.

Most people try to treat it conservatively at home, and for a lot of them it’s effective. For those that don’t improve, and it is small subset of people, we have just acquired a new technology that is non-invasive. We are the first group in North Carolina to have it, and we are very excited about this treatment. A treatment called EPAT uses a high energy shockwave machine that stimulates the bodies’ defenses. This is used in cases that we cannot solve with some relatively simple conservative care.

Be sure to give us a call or request an appointment online to learn more about how we can help you alleviate heel pain.