My right heel hurts; it hurts to step on what to do. Heel pain when stepping. Causes and treatment

Heel pain can appear completely unexpectedly, disrupting the usual way of life with its strength and persistence. Heels hurt for various reasons, but it is difficult for a person to step on them and walk even a short distance. When walking, the heel is subjected to a lot of stress every day, so painful sensations may appear at any time. If the inside of your heel hurts, this could be a sign of inflammation, tendinosis, heel spurs, or even a fracture. In any case, you need to pay attention to the appearance of pain in the legs so as not to limit yourself in movements and your usual lifestyle.

Main reasons

Why does burning heel pain occur? The main reason why the heel suddenly begins to hurt is injury. Do not step on your sore leg or do sudden movements so as not to worsen your situation. You need to immediately apply for medical care in such cases.

Heavy exercise can seriously harm your health, so you should stop playing sports and walking a lot during treatment. Overloading the foot can cause shooting pains in the legs. If damaged ankle joint, then the leg feels like a nail is piercing it, and the pain increases with every movement.

Often the reason painful condition due to excessive daily stress they become female high heels. A sudden change to shoes with flat soles, in turn, can cause discomfort when walking.

Uncomfortable shoes always negatively affect the health of your feet, and if you wear them constantly, the condition will only worsen. If a person has a job where he has to stand all day, then this greatly affects the heels. They are also negatively affected, as is the entire body as a whole, by a sudden weight gain.

You should not underestimate this condition of your legs, since it may indicate more serious violations inside the human body. Further, the process progresses and over time it becomes more and more difficult to cure.

What diseases cause heel pain?

Comfortable shoes and the absence of injuries are not a guarantee of health, because the heels are affected internal illnesses. Why does my heel hurt inside? visible reasons no for this? Sometimes only a consultation with a doctor will reveal all the secrets of the appearance and quality treatment these unpleasant pains.

Chronic inflammatory processes


Metabolic disorders due to gout and inflammation in the joints due to arthritis sometimes also lead to problems with the legs. The heel tendons become inflamed, which causes pain. Timely examination, testing and identification of one of these diseases will help to quickly eliminate heel pain.

The entire connective tissue of the sole becomes completely compacted and can become inflamed for various reasons. If a person wears tight shoes, then this process will only accelerate. If you ignore such pain, then over time calcium salts are deposited in the tissues and a spur forms on the heel.

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon also leads to intense pain when walking. Pain syndrome occurs on the inside of the soles above or below the inflamed heel.

If a spur appears on the heel, a person feels pain from the side of its occurrence in a sitting and lying position. The situation improves with walking, but without special treatment spurs are indispensable. It is a compacted growth that affects part of the sole. It can be diagnosed using ultrasound or x-ray examination.

It is very painful for patients to walk with cracks that appear on the soles. The heel becomes rough, and deep cracks form in the thick layer of skin. When walking, they cause severe pain and sometimes even bleed.

Infectious diseases

If the body has chronic infection, then your heels will hurt not only when walking, but also during rest. The cause is chlamydia, gonorrhea and others venereal diseases. Intestinal infections, such as dysentery, also lead to heel pain, but very rarely.

One of complex diseases is tuberculosis of the calcaneus. Its danger is that it spreads quite quickly and progresses in the absence of treatment. For these reasons, a sore heel always needs a thorough examination.

Osteomyelitis of the heel bone causes muscle pain and fever. Acute infections Almost all cases respond well to treatment, but treatment is usually long-term.

Systemic diseases

The tissue that connects a patient's toes to the heel bone along the foot can become inflamed during arthritis. The pain is increasing in nature. In the morning it manifests itself especially strongly, and to reduce it, you need to massage the foot. After it, relief appears until the person climbs the steps or stands on tiptoes.

In the case of reactive arthritis, when the body is attacked various infections, for example, due to sexually transmitted diseases, it is painful for the patient to walk and even sleep with such a problem.


Chronic inflammation of certain joints and the spine, called ankylosing spondylitis, affects the legs. Gout often spreads not only to the big toe, but to the entire surface of the foot. In addition to pain, swelling and redness of the heel and entire foot appear.

It is difficult to relieve annoying pain on your own; it is better to seek help from a doctor. It is necessary to do an ultrasound and other diagnostics, which will help to quickly find out the cause and decide on treatment.

Effective treatments

If the heel is very painful or there is constant discomfort, then you should not postpone your visit to the doctor. Timely diagnosis can protect a person from more serious problems and further complications. General recommendations is weight loss, changing tight and uncomfortable shoes, reducing stress on the legs. When choosing and wearing shoes, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

  • the height of the heel should be no more than 5 centimeters;
  • do not wear shoes with flat soles or too high heels during treatment;
  • You cannot wear stiletto heels; the heel must be wide and stable;
  • the presence of a small heel will help relieve the load on the heel and it will not hurt as much;
  • Daily foot exercises will bring relief and benefits to your legs.

It is better to avoid running or while treating your legs. These loads can easily be replaced by swimming and cycling. Excess weight for the legs is a big burden, so you should stick to a diet and also get rid of extra pounds.

People with flat feet need to pay attention Special attention on the type of shoe and the presence of orthopedic insoles. The load from the heels will shift to the muscles and ligaments, which will improve their condition, and the patient will not have pain in walking.

The inflammatory process in the heel greatly interferes with the legs and causes discomfort when walking. In this case, you need to do tests and start treatment as soon as possible.


Emergency methods of dealing with acute heel pain:

  1. Apply an ice cube to the sore spot and hold it for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Place your feet in a container of water at room temperature.
  3. Take a painkiller tablet containing Ibuprofen.
  4. Apply an ointment with an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, for example, Fastum-gel or Ketonal.

Preventing heel pain

Special strengthening exercises are an excellent method for preventing foot diseases and reducing the intensity of heel pain.

  1. The tennis ball is rolled alternately with the foot of each leg. It is better to do this twice a day for two or three minutes.
  2. Massage the feet and each toe, if it does not hurt the patient. You need to do this massage before bed without interruptions, then the result will not be long in coming.
  3. Take a horizontal position and stretch your legs. Pull your foot towards you until discomfort appears, and then stretch your toe out as much as possible.
  4. Alternately walk on your feet and heels around the room.
  5. Spread a towel on the floor, use your fingers to make folds and smooth them out.
  6. If your heel hurts when doing exercises, then you should stop.
  7. For preventive purposes, always monitor daily diet and do a pedicure so that the stratum corneum does not become rough and crack.

Some traditional methods suggest the use of compresses at night on the heel area. If it doesn't hurt too much, then the recipes will bring some relief. Suitable for compresses vegetable oil And ammonia. A cotton pad is moistened in the mixture of components and applied to inside heel or on its front surface. If it is very painful for a person to step on his heels, you can apply propolis to the affected area overnight, covering it with any fabric.

When your heels still hurt after the procedures, it is recommended to consult a doctor for accurate diagnosis and further individual therapy. A therapist, traumatologist or other doctor will tell you why the health of your legs has deteriorated and what to do in the future. When it hurts to even stand on your feet, then no home treatment won't save. You need to monitor the health of your legs, because a person’s activity and mobility depend on it.

Heel pain can have several causes. In any case, it causes a lot of inconvenience and unpleasant sensations to a person.

  • Surely everyone has experienced heel pain while walking at least once in their life. There are many reasons why painful sensations may return again and again: from ordinary fatigue to joint disease
  • Heel pain is a fairly common symptom that occurs in almost every third resident of Russia.
  • This pain should not be ignored, since the heel is an important part of the body. It performs the irreplaceable function of a shock absorber. Over the course of a whole day, it can withstand enormous loads, softening the pressure only with a layer of adipose tissue.
  • The heel is the widest bone in the entire foot. This is the site of all the nerve channels that spread throughout the foot. And that's why she's so sensitive. It can be affected by both injury and disease
the heel is an important part of the human body

Important: If you feel pain in your heel, you need to urgently find the cause. Every time you step on your foot, you experience unpleasant sensations that make your life worse, limiting your movements.

Possible causes of heel pain:

Heel spur- a terrible disease for older people and people with overweight. The fact is that a spur cannot be cured, you can only ease the discomfort a little.
Salt deposits form on the heel in the form of a build-up, sharp end digs into fabrics when walked on and creates an unpleasant stabbing pain. The most severe pain is that which appears after sleep, when a person tries to stand on rested legs. When walking, the pain may be relieved due to loss of sensitivity and habituation.



schematic representation of a heel spur

Arthritis- tissue inflammation. IN in this case we're talking about about the tissue that connects the heel to the toes. This pain is characterized gradual increase and its strongest manifestations are in the morning, after sleep, when the leg has been in a calm state for a long time.



schematic illustration arthritis of the foot

Fasciitis- a foot disease when a dense formation is formed in the tissues of the foot, impeding movement and creating pain. Inflammation of tissues can be promoted by the deposition of salts on the heel bone, and constant standing on the feet can increase pain.



fasciitis of the foot
  • Gout- joint damage due to excessive salt deposition uric acid
  • Tendon injuries- pain in the heel, especially during long walks or heavy loads
  • Reactive arthritis- consequences from infectious diseases body
  • Foot strain and long periods of standing
  • Thinning subcutaneous fat
  • Sudden weight gain in a person

Video: “Why does heel pain occur? Is it always a heel spur?

Which doctor should I consult if my heels hurt?

Whatever the pain in the heel, it requires treatment. Don't assume that this is just Occupational Illness, to which athletes or professional runners are predisposed. Modern conditions life, uncomfortable shoes, long periods of standing and problems with overweight become the cause of pain.

Important: Most often, people complain of pain in the heel of only one leg, and only a third of cases belong to those suffering from both heels. The most severe pain occurs after sleep, when the legs have been in the horizontal position and did not experience any stress. It is not uncommon for a person to experience lameness and uneven walking, trying not to put too much pressure on the heel when walking, avoiding pain.

Several doctors can treat problems and diseases of the heel bone:

  • therapist
  • physiotherapist
  • traumatologist
  • rheumatologist
  • orthopedist
  • surgeon
  • neurologist
  • rheumatologist

The doctor's specialty depends on the nature of your pain. First of all, you should contact your primary care physician with complaints and he will refer you to the necessary specialist.



traumatologist - orthopedist

To get rid of heel pain, the patient needs to undergo physical therapy and drug treatment. Elimination of such pain cannot be immediate and often takes a whole year.

Surgical intervention is recommended only in some cases; in general, the patient needs to undergo a course physical therapy, injections, bandaging, fighting excess weight. During the treatment period, it is forbidden to wear tight shoes and high-heeled shoes.

Important: In order for the doctor to get a complete “picture” of the disease, the patient must undergo a blood test, X-ray and MRI.

Video: “Plantar fasciitis. Spurs on their heels

How to get rid of heel pain?

Typically, treatment for heel pain is a complex undertaking that includes many procedures. It takes about a year, it is this period that allows you to feel changes in sensations.



heel spur treatment

To help get rid of heel pain:

  • Physiotherapy: A variety of exercises and stretches are aimed at warming up the leg muscles and fascia of the foot. This exercise should be done for both feet, even if only one hurts. It helps relieve pain and increase flexibility
  • Painkillers: Some medications can relieve pain and inflammation in the joints. IN in some cases cold compresses to the heels are suitable
  • Orthopedic insoles: something like this can ease the load on the heel when walking; you can buy it in a specialty store or pharmacy
  • Bandaging: orthopedists recommend bandaging the foot with an elastic band to reduce the load on the fascia of the foot
  • Corticosteroids: in some cases, specialists prescribe injections that have strong anti-inflammatory effects. Such injections are not indicated for everyone, as they have many contraindications.
  • Surgical intervention: Very complex operation excision of the fascia can be carried out if not one of therapeutic methods did not give results
  • Shock wave therapy: new procedure, which has not yet managed to prove its 100% effectiveness. Using a special apparatus, sound impulses are sent to the heel

Video: “Heel pain. What do you need to know about physical therapy?”

What ointment will help with heel pain?

First of all, with your problem, you need to contact a specialist doctor, only he can really prescribe effective treatment: both physiotherapy and external painkillers - ointments.



external remedies are used to treat heel pain

Ointments can have an anti-inflammatory effect and not a strong analgesic effect. Most often, doctors prescribe:

  • diclofenac ointment
  • ibuprofen ointment
  • voltaren gel
  • piroxicam gel
  • Dimexide ointment
  • ketorol gel
  • indomethocin ointment
  • Butadione ointment

Use the ointment for at least two weeks. All this time, it is necessary to apply a thick layer of the drug to the sore spot and rub until completely absorbed. You need to smear your heels often: at least three times a day. After the procedure, it is recommended to put a sock on your foot and give your feet rest. Each ointment has the following effect:

  • softening the skin
  • pain relief
  • improve blood circulation
  • relieving inflammation
  • eliminate discomfort while moving

What causes pain from the heel to the thigh, the reasons for its occurrence?

The causes of pain that affects the area from heel to thigh can be:

  • excessive loads
  • injuries received
  • joint inflammation
  • pathologies of the vascular system
  • varicose veins
  • muscle and tendon ruptures
  • pinched nerves
  • arthritis and arthrosis
  • gout
  • malignant tumors


pain starting in the heel may radiate to the thigh

The pain syndrome is completely diverse and its causes depend only on its location. The most common causes of heel to hip pain are pinched nerves or inflammatory diseases joints. The cause of discomfort should be sought in the place where the concentration of pain is strongest.

The development of the disease is influenced by factors such as:

  • infectious diseases
  • injuries to the leg and supporting apparatus
  • impaired metabolism
  • cancer

Important: A thorough examination by a therapist, a detailed blood test and an x-ray will give an answer to the cause of the pain.

Video: “Achilles tendon injury”

What causes sharp pain in the heel, reasons?

Sharp pain in the heel that comes out of nowhere can occur for several reasons:

  • foot strain
  • damage to the fatty tissue of the heel
  • standing on your feet for a long time
  • obesity
  • injury
  • inflammatory diseases

Important: The causes of pain are divided into two groups: those that are caused by damage to the structure of the foot and those that are the consequences of diseases.

If you do not have any health problems, then the cause of the pain should be sought in too active image life, impacts and leg injuries in Lately and sudden weight gain, when the legs are not accustomed to the large body weight.



often heel pain occurs due to problems with excess weight

Video: “Heel pain gone and excess weight”

Why does nagging pain in the heel occur?

Tell us right away the cause nagging pain in the heel is quite difficult. In order to fully understand the cause of the disease, each symptom must be examined in detail. Nagging pain can appear both due to injuries and due to impaired metabolism in the body.

The most common causes of nagging pain in the heel are:

  • inflammation of the fascia
  • Achilles tendonitis - sprains due to overuse
  • heel spur
  • bursitis - inflammation of the joint capsules
  • stress fracture
  • "tarsal fracture" syndrome - pinched nerve canals


metatarsals

Where does burning pain in the heel come from? Causes and treatment

A symptom such as a burning sensation may occur in the heel for the following reasons:

  • skin diseases
  • flat feet
  • metabolic disorders
  • diabetes mellitus
  • joint diseases
  • vegetative-vascular dystonia
  • uncomfortable shoes and improper walking

Important: Vegetative-vascular dystonia and varicose veins veins can cause metabolic disorders in the body, as well as malfunctions nervous system.

If you do not have any diseases, then in cases of burning heels they will help contrast baths for legs: a basin with hot and cold water. After the procedure, you should moisturize your feet with cream, put them in socks and raise them above your head for a while.

Why does heel pain occur at night?

Heel pain throughout the night is not normal. The causes of such sensations can be serious inflammatory and traumatic diseases. Such pain cannot be relieved by external means and requires hospitalization of the person.

Heels can hurt in the morning and even at night due to dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, in such cases, you cannot do without an x-ray, a blood test and a detailed examination by a doctor. If for a long time you can't relieve the pain medicines And folk remedies— make an appointment with a therapist.

Heel pain gives not only pain, but also impairment usual life. Often a person has difficulty moving, cannot wear his favorite shoes, and is forced to lean on available surfaces.

How to get rid of heel pain that occurs in the morning:

  • try to eliminate the pain with cold - try massaging your heel with ice wrapped in a towel for 15 minutes, then put your feet in a warm bath
  • use non-steroidal drugs anti-inflammatory action: ointments and gels
  • buy a heel insert from a pharmacy and insert it into everyday shoes, its property is to distribute weight evenly over the entire foot


Heel pain can be eliminated with your own hands

If you have the opportunity, buy yourself a special orthopedic shoes which helps relieve pain when walking. If pain of any kind occurs, you should stop playing sports, jumping and walking long distances.

Video: “Heel pain. Overview of heel spur treatments"

Pain in the heel while walking and stepping is a fairly common cause and traumatic injuries. Because the heel area is saturated blood vessels And nerve endings, this leads to pain with minor deviations occurring in the tissue structure. If your heel hurts and it hurts to step, the reason may be due to various pathological processes, which need to be clarified by undergoing an examination.

Heel pain when the cause occurs

Why does my heel hurt? Why does it hurt to step on it? Development factors acute symptom heel pain may protrude different reasons. It is important to understand that you do not have to endure severe pain, since the disease that caused it is capable of progressing and turning into dangerous stage. To eliminate discomfort when moving and restore health to your feet, you need to find out why it hurts to step on your heel.


Pain when stepping

When does your foot start to hurt? possible reasons can be caused by both external and internal factors.

External appearance Pain when stepping on the heel is caused by:

  • Uncomfortable shoes - when suddenly switching from heels to flat soles, sharp, Blunt pain in the foot and heel area.
  • Excessive loads of a sporting nature - if suddenly the heel begins to react painfully after jogging when stepped on, then for a while you need to choose a different type of load.
  • Injuries, bruises - if it becomes painful to stand on your leg after an injury, it is recommended not to step on it and, if possible, quickly consult a specialist.

Diseases that cause the foot to hurt when you step on it:

  • – many people suffer from the appearance of cracks. Deep wounds can cause acute pain when stepped on and bleed.
  • - an inflammatory process that develops in a connective tissue formation, located in the form of a wide strip on the sole of the foot. If it is impossible to step on the heel, severe pain is felt, this indicates stretching and subsequent inflammation of the fascia in the area where it attaches to the tubercle of the heel. If there is no treatment, then in the zone chronic inflammation salt will be deposited and a spur will form.
  • Heel spur is bone growth on the plantar surface of the heel bone. The main sign of pathology is sharp pain, especially in the morning.
  • Chronic diseases joints – arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis pathology.
  • Diabetes
  • Neoplasms of malignant course
  • Tibial nerve neuropathy
  • Other

Only a doctor can diagnose a specific illness and why it arose. Consultation required various specialists– rheumatologist, traumatologist, neurologist, surgeon, oncologist.

Infections

Unpleasant sensations in the heel may occur due to development in it.

If it hurts to step on your heel, bone tuberculosis may develop. The disease is characterized by the appearance of necrosis, covering large areas skin or melting of bone matter. The infection process occupies a huge area, provoking the formation purulent fistulas. After a couple of weeks, the disease may stop and remission occurs. However, often bone mass tuberculosis leads to leg deformity and lameness.

The reactive form of arthritis manifests itself due to urogenital and intestinal infections, which occur in a latent form. The foot begins to hurt not only during movement. Most often the pain is much stronger and more unpleasant than during the day.

Osteomyelitis of the heel bone is also classified as an infectious disease. The disease is characterized by the development of a purulent-necrotic process, which is caused by bacteria. They develop in bone marrow and bones, covering soft fabrics located nearby. Pain appears in the foot near the heel, it is bursting, boring, and can intensify with slight movement. The heel area swells and turns red.

Rheumatoid arthritis

If it hurts to step on your heel, this may indicate worsening arthritis. Often, acute unbearable cases of pain do not come suddenly, the pain increases gradually. In the affected area, local hyperemia, stiffness and swelling of the joint are formed.

The most dangerous looking arthritis is rheumatoid. It is almost impossible to cure it. The disease is classified as a systemic autoimmune type, during which tissue is destroyed by the body itself as foreign.

How to treat foot pain due to arthritis is determined by a specialist, based on the body’s reaction to the choice of treatment methods and medications. Therapy for arthritis and arthrosis involves ensuring complete rest of the leg. When acute pain in the heel behind can be relieved, the patient is prescribed therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy.

Gout

A person may have heel pain in the case of. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of urate crystals in the form of uric acid in various tissues. The pathology manifests itself with the following sensations of discomfort:

  • Acute joint pain
  • Redness
  • Increase in temperature of the affected area
  • Swelling

Gout often affects the joints thumb on the legs, pain appears in the foot between the heel and toe, spreading to the heel bone.

Why do your heels hurt when walking?


Sports loads

Often, bursitis is observed in athletes who constantly load the heel bone and foot during training, while jogging, and then complain that their heel hurts after running. It can also hurt when walking. When pain occurs due to inflammation in the heel area.

For heel bursitis, treatment is carried out by a specialist. Taking independent measures is not recommended.

Heel bruise

When your heel hurts when walking, this may indicate that your foot struck you when you landed on your feet. In this case, it is possible that there are cracks in the heel bone.

If the heel hurts, it is painful to step on when bruised, the patient will feel as if a nail is piercing the heel. When moving, the pain increases. From external symptoms bruises include swelling, swelling of the ankle, ankles.

Heel spur

Primary symptom the disease is overstrain of the sole in the heel area due to permanent loads on the leg, deterioration of tissue elasticity. Subsequently, inflammation occurs, a lump appears, a lump appears, and the heel hurts. Especially stabbing, acute pain appears after sleep, and it is very painful to stand on your leg in the morning.

As a result, patients complain of pain directly when pressing with their foot on the formation, when the heel, when pressed, seems to start pricking like a needle.

Calcaneal apophysitis

As a rule, a child’s heels hurt when walking, not for any specific reason, but due to the influence of a number of factors on the body:

  • Increased physical activity. In children under 14 years of age, the foot bone is not yet fully formed, so the loads should be selected according to age.
  • A sharp increase. It leads to sharp growth bones, causing muscles to become overstrained and Achilles tendon.
  • Congenital diseases bone tissue, skeletal diseases.
  • Lack of calcium in the body
  • Excess body weight
  • Incorrectly chosen shoes cause heel pain in children.
  • Incorrect gait, when the support is placed more on the heel, the load on it increases.

With apophysitis, the child’s foot begins to hurt severely in the back and sides, the pain syndrome intensifies with physical activity. There is swelling in the affected area.

Tendinitis

The causes of pain in the heels lie in the heavy load on the calf muscle. With constant overstrain, the tendons contract and shorten. As a result, the tissues are not able to accept normal position, because the back of the heel hurts and it hurts to lean on the leg.

Pain can occur not only in the foot area, but can also spread above the heel to the calf muscles. The patient is unable to move normally after rest.

Leaving similar symptom Without attention, the tendon can degenerate, leading to the risk of complete separation from the foot bone.

It is important, at the initial stage of therapy, if there is pain above the back of the heel and the foot itself, to give complete rest to the limb. After elimination inflammatory process You can do massage and physiotherapy.

Treatment options

When various pain symptoms in the foot area, you should consult a doctor. When your heel hurts, it hurts to step on, the attending physician will decide how to treat it after carrying out the appropriate diagnostic methods. Diagnostic measures carried out using instrumental and laboratory methods.


Examination by a specialist

Which doctor should I contact? A number of specialists deal with this disease.

  1. Orthopedist
  2. Rheumatologist
  3. Neurologist

Based on the origin of the pain syndrome, when the heel disease is diagnosed and the cause of the pathology is identified, appropriate therapy is prescribed. A specialist will tell you what to do if your heel hurts; it hurts to step on your foot.

Treatment must be comprehensive and may include non-drug, drug, surgical and the folk way combating the problem. Most methods will help cope with swelling, inflammation, pain syndrome.

Non-drug treatment for pain includes:

  • Correct selection of shoes
  • Therapeutic for leg diseases.
  • Massage therapy
  • The use of instep supports and heel pads, which reduce the load on the foot and protect against impacts.

Drug treatment for heel pain.

  • Use non-steroidal drugs. Sore feet are lubricated with ointments and gels. Ointment and tablets will help relieve heel pain. For internal use
  • Ibuprofen, external ointments, creams used several times a day - Diclofenac, Fastum gel.
  • Lidocaine and Diprospan help relieve pain.
  • For

Today we will talk in detail about each reason why it hurts and can be painful to step on your heel, as well as how to determine this reason.

There can be many reasons why your heel may hurt and it is painful to step on. From the most harmless, for example, the wrong choice of shoes, to quite serious ones that require treatment and immediate consultation with a doctor. You should be wary if your heel hurts for no reason and it hurts to step on it after physical activity, or vice versa, after sleep. When there is swelling or redness in the area and when it becomes hot to the touch. Also pay attention to burning, tingling, and numbness. If the above symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Causes of pain that do not require treatment

  • Constant overstrain of the foot, which occurs when long-term wearing very high heel shoes
  • Thinning of the layer of subcutaneous fat in the heel area in cases where your physical activity increased sharply
  • Staying on your feet, without the opportunity to sit down and give your legs a rest, for the whole day
  • Rapid weight gain

On our website you can find out everything about why you have a possible disease

Causes of heel pain when stepping

Here are a few reasons why your heel hurts and is painful to step on:

  1. Fasciitis
  2. Tendenitis
  3. Arthritis and arthrosis
  4. Erythromelalgia
  5. Osteoporosis
  6. Heel Spitz
  7. Various damages and injuries

Now let's look at each reason in more detail.

Fasciitis

Fasciitis is an inflammation of the fascia, a connective tissue membrane that plays an important role in distributing load. Here’s why the fascia can become inflamed:

  • There's too much stress on your feet
  • Wearing shoes that are too tight or uncomfortable
  • Excess weight
  • And a disease like diabetes

If the reason that it hurts to stand on your heel is precisely this disease, the following symptoms will be observed:

  • The pain will be more acute in the morning, when the muscles have not yet been developed.
  • The heel may become red, inflamed, and hot.

Treatment of this disease should be comprehensive, apply special medications, and the foot must be fixed.

Read more about and about its treatment, as well as O, you can find out on our website.

Heel spur

Another reason why your heel hurts when you step is a heel spur. What it is? This is a growth that forms when calcium salts begin to be deposited on the heel. It protrudes beyond the heel and interferes with walking. The cause of this disease, as a rule, is fasciitis, which we talked about just above. How to determine that you have a spur and not something else:

  • Of course, first of all it is pain when stepping on it, because the resulting growth literally digs into the soft tissue. This disease is the reason why heels hurt in the evening, as well as in the morning, after sleep. During the day, the pain may temporarily subside.
  • A lump appears that is hard to the touch
  • The place where the spur appeared is hot and red

Heel spurs must be treated without fail, and treatment must begin as early as possible, otherwise the spur will continue to grow, and eventually the foot will be completely immobilized.

To definitively confirm the diagnosis, the patient must undergo X-ray or ultrasonography, and, if the diagnosis is confirmed, complete rest is provided to the sore foot using a special bandage.

Read more about , and also about can be found on our website.

Tendenitis

Tendenitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon (which connects the heel bones and calf muscles). Such a disease can also cause it to become painful for you to step on your heel, and here’s why: the problem arises as a result of too much heavy load to this area, as well as due to minor tears and injuries.

How to distinguish tendonitis:

  • Pain in the heel, localized on the plantar side or above it. It gets worse when walking or when the patient stands on tiptoes. It is especially strong in the first hours after sleep.
  • The sore spot becomes red, swollen and hot
  • It is very difficult to walk and move your feet

Treatment involves complete rest of the limb (it will help elastic bandage), as well as cold to the sore spot. The specialist may prescribe anti-inflammatory and painkillers. In addition, it is necessary to perform special exercises to develop the damaged tendon.

Arthritis and arthrosis

Here's what else could be the reason why it hurts to step on your heels. Arthritis occurs due to inflammation of the joints, which may result from past infection or weak immunity, arthrosis is changes in the joints associated with the age of the body.

The manifestations of arthritis and arthrosis are similar:

  • This is the cause of severe pain in the heel; it is especially painful to step on it in the evening. Unpleasant sensations may also arise in another part of the foot, and not subside either at rest, or at night, or in the morning
  • Limited mobility
  • Deformation (increase in size) of the joint
  • Severe swelling in the sore spot

In the treatment of this disease, primarily anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers are used. Sometimes, in serious cases, puncture of the inflamed joint is performed.

Erythromelalgia

The cause of pain in the heels when standing up can be a disease such as erythromelalgia. It is caused by vasodilation. The symptoms are:

  • Hyperthermia
  • Excessive sweating
  • Redness of the damaged area

The discomfort is especially intensified when stepping on a full foot. For recovery, vasoconstrictors and sedatives, means that strengthen the walls of blood vessels. In some cases, novocaine is prescribed.

Osteoporosis

Such a nuisance as osteoporosis occurs due to decreased density bone tissue. Bones, over time, can become deformed and gradually break down. This is why the right or left heel, and it hurts to step on the entire foot. Also, during the course of the disease, curvature of the spine and hunching are observed. Here are the causes of osteoporosis:

  • Eating disorder
  • Bad habits
  • Early menopause
  • Too much long period lactation

Treatment of osteoporosis is primarily based on taking medications that replenish necessary for the body elements (such as calcium, for example)

Bursitis

This is inflammation in bursa(a cavity located at the junction of the joints and necessary to soften the movements of our tendons and muscles). It occurs unexpectedly and is accompanied by very sharp painful sensations.

Symptoms of bursitis:

  • Redness
  • Increased temperature at the site of inflammation
  • Touching the heel causes sharp pain

Bursitis is treated by taking antibiotics, complete rest of the limb at first, and the necessary physical procedures at the end of treatment.

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Heel Spitz

Otherwise, plantar wart. A dense, round formation that causes severe pain when walking, as well as itching and burning in the affected area. Treatment options include removal medicines, and instrumental removal.

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Damage and injury

The heel bears the greatest load, and therefore injuries to this area are quite common. And here are the injuries you may encounter:

Calcaneal fracture

Occurs, as a rule, after a fall on the heels from a height. In such a fall, the talus bone pierces the heel and splits it into pieces. In this case, heel area immediately swells and bruises form. Movement of the injured limb is, of course, difficult, or simply impossible.

Epiphysitis of the calcaneus, or Sever's disease

This disease affects children and adolescents who play sports professionally. Pain occurs during physical activity, when trying to stand on your toes. The site of injury swells, there is a limitation in work calf muscle. The treatment for this disease is wearing a special heel pad, which helps the damaged area heal.

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Heel bruise

Occurs again after an unsuccessful fall on the heels. Causes inflammation in the tissues adjacent to the site of impact. When you try to stand on your full foot, the pain increases sharply. A foot bruise is usually treated with cold, rest, and special ointments and creams that relieve pain.

Arthritis is inflammation of the joints, bursitis is inflammation of the periarticular bursae. Both types of heel diseases affect the tissues that run along the foot and connect the heel bone to the toes. The pain is not felt immediately, at first you may not even pay attention to it, but it inevitably grows. The patient feels worse in the morning, but if a foot massage is performed, the pain subsides, but suddenly returns on tiptoe and when walking up the stairs.


People suffering from arthritis or bursitis are forced to “pace” in the morning when they have just gotten out of bed. It is especially difficult for those who are overweight. Heel pain can shoot through your entire body.

Plantar fasciitis

The fascia of the sole is nothing more than a compacted formation in connective tissues that go all over. Prolonged and constant wearing of tight or simply uncomfortable shoes creates a risk of inflammation in this area. Development plantar fasciitis provokes in the inflamed area, which very often leads to the formation of a heel spur.

Sudden changes in the musculoskeletal system of the foot can also be caused by unevenly distributed or excessive physical activity. This often happens due to poor posture and injuries. As a result of these factors, the center of gravity shifts, which leads to the development of heel spurs.

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon

Reactive arthritis

Some infections can cause heel pain when walking, including: venereal diseases, chlamydia, gonococcus, etc. Reactive inflammation (arthropathy or Reiter's syndrome) of the heel tendons can also develop with hidden infections. In this case, the pain is strongly felt not only when walking, but also in any other position, especially when walking.


Reactive arthritis usually develops a month after an intestinal, respiratory or genitourinary infection. To the fore in clinical picture It is precisely the damage to the joints of the lower extremities that results.