You should be worried about heel pain when you experience severe swelling and pain near your heel and have severe heel pain right after an injury. Additionally, other causes of concern involve the inability to bend your foot downward, walk normally, or rise on your toes, and heel pain with tingling or numbness in your heel with a fever. You should seek medical attention if your heel pain continues when you are not walking or standing, and your pain lasts more than a couple of weeks, even after you tried ice, rest, and other home remedies.

There are a number of causes of heel pain and this is why you need to consult with a doctor who can diagnose the issue. The several common causes include sprains and strains; plantar fasciitis; fracture, Achilles tendonitis; joint inflammation; bone tumor; reactive arthritis; stress fractures; rheumatoid arthritis; heel spur; and tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Rest, applying ice regularly to the heel, taking over-the-counter-medications, wearing shoes that fit properly, and wearing a night splint, are just a handful of home remedies, but when these homecare strategies do not work, or the pain continues with treatment, then an orthopedic surgeon may step in to find a solution. An orthopedic surgeon specializes in the musculoskeletal system – joints, bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles that are so important to our movement and everyday life. An orthopedic surgeon is an expert who has extensive training in the proper diagnosis and both surgical and non-surgical treatments of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.

When you develop heel pain, you may want to try some simple home remedies, like rest and ice, to help ease the symptoms. However, if your heel pain does not get better in a couple of weeks, then you should make an appointment with your doctor. You should also contact your doctor immediately if your pain is severe, the pain starts suddenly, you have redness in your heel, you have swelling in your heel, or you have difficulty walking because of the pain in your heel.

While it is not possible to prevent all causes of heel pain, keep in mind that there are some easy tips that you can follow to avoid injury to the heel and prevent pain. Tips include wearing shoes that support the foot and fit properly, wearing the right shoes during physical activity, stretching your muscles before exercising, pacing yourself during physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, resting when you are tired or when your muscles ache, and maintaining a healthy weight.

If you have heel pain, then you should book an appointment with an orthopedist. They can help treat injuries and educate you on how to prevent them from happening in the first place. The Orthopedic Group welcomes you to call us or make an appointment through our website. We offer heel treatment, and we provide quality care. We serve patients from Leesburg VA, Lansdowne VA, Stone Springs VA, Dulles, VA, Ashburn VA, Sterling VA, Aldie VA, South Riding VA, Herndon VA, Winchester VA, Reston VA, and Chantilly VA.