Over time, and as we age the muscles that run through the arches of our feet begin to loose elasticity.
The pad protecting your heel also becomes thinner with less fat and cushion. This means that your heel can’t absorb as much pressure and shock from walking, which can lead to swelling tearing and bruising.
Some additional contributing factors include:
Unhealthy weight
Diabetes
Long periods of time spent standing
Too quickly becoming active without working your way into it slowly
Unsupportive foot ware
Having a high arch/ flat foot
Some common causes contributing to heel pain include:
Tarsal Tunnel syndrome:
Cause: A large nerve in the back of the foot becomes trapped, or pinched. This is
similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the hand
Symptoms: Causes a burning and tingling sensation on the bottom of the foot
Heel spur:
Cause: Exteneded heel pain from long periods of standing
Symptoms: Tenderness and pain in the back of the heel made worse when pushing
off the ball of the foot.
Achilles Tendinitis:
Cause: Inflammation of the Achilles tendon from over exertion due to high impact activity.
Symptoms: Warmth, swelling, and increased heel pain during activity
Stress fracture:
Causes: Somewhat common cause of heel pain, but mostly found in distance runners due to overtraining
Symptoms: Pain that developes gradually, increases with weight bearing activity and diminishes with rest.
Swelling on the top of the foot or the outside of the ankle
Plantar fascitis:
Causes: Irritation and inflammation of tight tissue that forms in the arch of the foot from long periods of walking or standing.
Symptoms: Pain when taking first steps after getting out of bed or sitting for long periods of time
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, make sure to visit your health care provider sooner rather than later. These conditions will improve if you seek treatment before it becomes a more chronic issue.