Heel Pain Treatment in Kansas City
Do you suffer from aching, stabbing, or burning pain of the heels?
Does the discomfort keep you from participating in activities you used to enjoy?
Heel pain is a very common symptom in people of all ages. And while the condition causing it is usually not “medically serious,” that isn’t much comfort. It still hurts! And if it keeps you from exercising or enjoying activities, it can gradually cost you your health and mobility.
What Caused Your Heel Pain?
Heel pain can arise from a variety of different factors and diagnoses.
The most common cause for adults is plantar fasciitis. This occurs when the plantar fascia tissue along the arch and underside of the heel becomes overstretched, torn, and inflamed. The “classic” symptom of plantar fasciitis is a pain in the early morning when you get out of bed,
Among children, the most common diagnosis is Sever’s disease. Active kids during their early “growth spurt” years are especially susceptible. At this stage, their bodies are growing quickly, and part of the heel bone is capped by a “growth plate” of softer tissue responsible for forming new bone. Repetitive impacts and pressure can irritate this growth plate, causing pain.
While a majority of cases fall into one of these diagnoses, there are many other possibilities, including Achilles tendinitis, arthritis, stress fractures, pinched nerves, etc.
Contributing factors that can lead to heel pain include:
- Active hobbies (running, sports, etc.)
- Occupations that require a lot of standing
- Poor choices of footwear
- Structural foot problems (for example, flat feet)
- Gait abnormalities
- Obesity
Our Approach Emphasizes Conservative Care
During your initial visit, we will take as much time as necessary to confirm the correct diagnosis before prescribing any treatment. This includes a physical examination, talking with you about your symptoms, and, if necessary, X-rays.
We also usually provide an injection of cortisone to deal with the inflammation right away. The medication begins to work right away, and as inflammation declines, you begin to feel relief from symptoms over the next few hours to days.
Then, we’ll talk to you about treatment options over the longer term that you may need to bring about healing and prevent the return of pain. Depending on the cause of your heel pain, this might include options such as:
- Wearing higher quality shoes with better cushioning and support
- Over-the-counter cushioned insoles
- Adjusting your activities to reduce daily pressure on the heels
- Custom orthotics for those with more significant biomechanical concerns
- Temporary use of a walking boot or other immobilization tools
- Stretching and/or physical therapy
How to Get Rid of Heel Pain?
Your feet and ankles can carry a heavy burden throughout your life. After all, they do carry your entire body weight. With every single step you take, they endure a huge amount of force. As you go through life and age, the tissues and ligaments in the foot can change a lot.
This can alter the forces on your ankles and feet. In turn, this will cause you pain. There are many different reasons why your feet may hurt.
It could be something as simple as an old injury that causes heel pain. It could also be something such as poor-fitting shoes. Foot pain decreases your mobility, stability, and strength.
Here are some helpful tips you can try to help get rid of heel pain!
Rest and Stretch
If overuse is your issue much like with Achilles tendinitis, rest is the key to recovery. Pair it with daily stretching and you will have the key to recovery. Foot exercises can help you keep your heel pain from ruining your life and tightening up.
Ice Your Heels
Try to hold an ice pack on the bottom of your foot/heel for around 15 minutes. A frozen water bottle can also be a helpful tool, especially for plantar fasciitis. Try to do this roughly three times a day for 15 minutes at a time.
You should also use ice after any strenuous activity.
Wear a Splint
For more severe cases, a splint can be an excellent tool to keep your ankle or foot in the correct position while you’re sleeping. Night splints can also help you stretch out and alleviate pain.
Wear Proper Footwear
Make sure you get the perfect fit for your foot. You should also try to avoid flat shoes that lack any real support. Arch supports can also be a big help for most people. If you need more help with dealing with heel pain, a pair of custom orthotics will help you with every step you take! We would love to set you up with your pair, so contact us for your appointment today!
What Causes Pain in My Heel?
Heel pain can be caused by many different things. However, the most common cause is plantar fasciitis. When the plantar fascia tissue becomes overstretched, inflamed, or torn, it can be very painful.
Usually, you will experience the pain early in the morning as you get out of bed. Among children, however, heel pain is often a result of Sever’s disease. More active kids will experience it during the years when they are experiencing growth spurts.
Some contributing factors of heel pain include:
- Obesity
- Active hobbies
- Gait abnormalities
- Occupations that require a lot of standing
- Structural foot problems such as flat feet
- Poor choices of footwear
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis begins as a sharp pain that you feel in the morning when you put your feet on the floor. It is usually at the bottom of the heal or close to it. It is essentially the inflammation of the plantar tissue that connects your heel to your toes.
How Do I Know If I Have Plantar Fasciitis?
The most common side effect of plantar fasciitis is a sharp pain in your heel. Most of the time, there is no change in the outer exterior of the foot. This makes it impossible to judge whether or not it is plantar fasciitis.
A few symptoms are:
- The area around the heel is swelling
- Dull or stabbing pain in the heel
- Burning sensation in the heel
- Pain worsens when you wake up in the morning
- Tightening in the Achilles tendon or heel
What are the Symptoms of Achilles Tendonitis?
Achilles tendonitis is usually a mild ache at the back of the leg above the heel. It usually follows running activities. You may experience more severe pain after sprinting or climbing stairs.
The following are very common symptoms of Achilles tendonitis:
- Pain or swelling in the heel when you run or walk
- Pain in your heel or behind the calf when you touch it
- Discomfort and swelling at the back of your heels
- Difficulty standing on your toes
- Warmth in the heel and along the tendons
If you have heel pain, don’t put off getting relief any longer. Contact us to schedule an appointment at any of our six convenient Metro Kansas City locations in Missouri or Kansas.
Why Does My Foot Hurt in the Morning?
Waking up in the morning can be hard enough when you feel healthy. It’s infinitely worse if you have to hobble to the bathroom on sore feet. If you’re experiencing sore feet, and they hurt the most right after you’ve gotten up, it may be a sign of an underlying condition.
Patients experiencing this pain will find it difficult to get up after lying down or sitting.
The good news is that the cause of your foot pain is identifiable. Better still, we can suggest a few solutions.
What’s causing your foot pain in the morning?
If you are an adult, the most common cause of pain in the heels or feet in the morning is plantar fasciitis. The major symptom of this condition is a stabbing pain in your heel when you put pressure on it. The tissue along the arch of your foot and the underside of your heel make the plantar fascia. When this becomes torn, inflamed, or overstretched, you can develop plantar fasciitis.
For children, sore feet in the morning are most commonly a symptom of Sever’s disease, which is associated with any repetitive impact on the growth plate of the heel bone.
Other possible–but less common–diagnoses are arthritis, stress fractures, pinched nerves, or Achilles tendinitis. Contributing factors include poor footwear, gait abnormalities, obesity, and structural foot problems.
How can you solve the problem?
There are many established solutions to heel pain in the morning. The most important part of your solution is to get the right diagnosis. At our Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Centers, we focus on conservative care. This means taking all the steps to test and diagnose the problem before prescribing any treatment.
We often begin with a cortisone injection to minimize the swelling and pain. Then, based on your test results, we discuss long-term and sustainable solutions to your foot pain.
These can include lifestyle changes such as wearing different footwear or treatments such as physiotherapy. In most cases, our experts recommend that invasive procedures such as surgeries are usually unnecessary.
If you are experiencing sore feet in the morning, book an appointment today and let us discuss your options either in person or over the phone at 816-455-1155.
Will I Need Surgery?
Many people are worried that they’re going to need surgery for the heel pain, but cases that require it are exceedingly rare. More than 95 percent of the time, we are able to fix the problem non-surgically.
That is more than 19 out of 20 patients, and it includes a lot of people with severe pain that has been chronic for months or even years.
That being said, the longer you wait to get treatment, the fewer effective treatment options you may have. So don’t wait to get help! To schedule your initial appointment, please call the Comprehensive Foot Centers today at (816) 455-1155.