While there are a variety of conditions which can make your heels hurt, by far the most common condition is plantar fasciitis. If your heels hurt, you can rest assured that you will get the correct heel pain diagnosis by making an appointment at the Seattle Heel Pain Center, where we specialize in the treatment of heel pain.
Why your heels hurt
First, it must be said that heel spurs, if you have them, are not actually the reason that your heels hurt. A heel spur will form when the arch of your foot flattens excessively. When your arch flattens it will cause your foot to lengthen, and when your foot lengthens it will cause your plantar fascia to tighten. When the plantar fascia tightens it tugs on the heel bone and, over time, your heel bone reacts to this by forming a spur. This condition is known as plantar fasciitis.
It is actually the tightened plantar fascia which is making your heels hurt, not the heel spur.
Plantar fasciitis and many other heel conditions are caused by damage to the tissue that connects into the heel, the plantar fascia. The damage to this tissue causes inflammation.
As you walk about during the day, the simple act of walking, with the muscles of your foot contracting and pressure from the ground pressing on the heel, acts like a massage of your foot, preventing inflammation from building up in the heel. However, when you lie down at night or sit for a while during the day, this massaging effect is halted allowing for the build-up of inflammation once again, resulting in a recurrence of the pain.
This cycle is repeated each time you rest, then walk, then rest again.
Orthotics can bring relief when your heels hurt
Proper arch support to relieve the stretching of the plantar fascia will most often result in the reduction of your heel pain. This is achieved most often through the use of quality orthotics, custom made to fit your foot, or over the counter.
We offer a list of the best prefabricated orthotics and other home treatments for plantar fasciitis here.
The proper fit and use of well-made orthotics will, in all likelihood relieve your heel pain. If your heels hurt, whether occasionally or chronically, you should make an appointment today to visit us at the Seattle Heel Pain Center of the Foot & Ankle Center of Washington; where our goal, in every case, is to relieve your heel pain as quickly as possible and provide a treatment plan that will give you long-term relief.
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