Heel Pain & Ankle Pain Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Afoot problem which presents as pain and can inhibit level of walking. Heel pain is often caused by exercising too much or wearing shoes that are too tight. Your symptoms might also give you an idea of what’s causing your heel pain. Some of the heel pain reason due to heel pain when walking l l heel pain from exercise l heel pain from shoes.

Heel Pain Causes:

Heel pain is most often caused by plantar fasciitis, a condition that is sometimes also called heel spur syndrome. Because there are several potential causes, it is important to have heel pain properly diagnosed. A pain physician can distinguish between all the possibilities and to determine the underlying source of your heel pain.

Heel pain reason generally fall into two main categories: pain beneath the heel and pain behind the heel. Heel pain may also be due to other causes, such as a stress fracture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation or, rarely, a cyst.

Plantar fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain.

Heel spur: When plantar fasciitis continues for a long time, a heel spur (calcium deposit) may form where the fascia tissue band connects to your heel bone. Having a heel spur may not cause pain and should usually not be operated.

Stone bruise: When you step on a hard object such as a rock or stone, you can bruise the fat pad on the underside of your heel. It may or may not look discolored. The pain goes away gradually with rest.

Pain Behind the Heel

If you have pain behind your heel, this may be due to the inflammation of the area where the Achilles tendon meets the heel bone. This may happen due to too much running or wearing shoes that rub the heel too much. Such pain typically builds slowly over time, and the skin becomes thick, red and swollen, in this process.

Retrocalcaneal bursitis: The bursa acts as a lubricant when muscles/tendons slide over bones. Bursas exist around most large joints of the body, including the ankle.

The bursa located at the back of the ankle, by the heel, is called a retrocalcaneal bursa. Repeated/excessive use of the ankle may cause the bursa to get inflamed, leading to this condition called retrocalcaneal bursitis.

Heel Pain Symptoms:

The symptoms of plantar fasciitis are:

Pain on the bottom of the heel
Pain in the arch of the foot
Pain that is usually worse upon arising
Pain that increases over months
Swelling on the bottom of the heel

Heel pain treatment:

At Painex, Pain management clinic we provide the best and latest non- surgical interventions

Medications
Conservative approach with physical therapies
Ergonomic evaluation and modification strategies (Footware alteration)
Injections – intra – articular, intralesional
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Specific nerve blocks
Radiofrequency ablation
Physiotherapy & rehabilitation
Heel pain exercise

For better heel pain relief, book your appointment with our specialists.

Ankle Pain Reason, Causes and Treatment

Ankle pain is often due to an ankle sprain but can also be caused by ankle instability, arthritis, gout, tendonitis, fracture, nerve compression (tarsal tunnel syndrome), infection and poor structural alignment of the leg or foot. Ankle pain can be associated with swelling, stiffness, redness, and warmth in the involved area. The pain is often described as an intense dull ache that occurs upon weight bearing and ankle motion.

Initial treatment may consist of rest, ice, elevation and immobilization but may also include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, physical therapy, and cortisone injection.

Causes of Ankle Pain

Conditions that cause heel pain generally fall into two main categories: pain beneath the heel and pain behind the heel

Achilles Tendon Rupture
Ankle Instability
Ankle Arthritis
Gout Arthritis
Old Ankle Sprains increase risk for newly active baby boomers
Osteoarthritis
PTTD
Talar Dome Lesion
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (Nerve Compression)

Prevention of Ankle Pain

To prevent ankle/heel pain, ensure the following:

Perform proper warm-up before running, exercise, sports, or any other strenuous activity.
Maintain ideal body weight
Wear supportive footwear whenever bearing weight (for example, have supportive shoes placed near bedside to put on before taking initial steps)

Ankle Pain Treatment:

Medicines/Pharmacotherapy : One of the easiest techniques for pain control is using conservative care (e.g., resting the impacted part, using hot/cold packs) along with medicines, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and adding a neuropathic agent.

Injections : Intralesional injections in the impacted part can provide significant pain relief in cases where medicines haven’t worked.

Such interventional techniques should be followed by regular stretching and exercises for better results.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy : PRP therapy involves injecting platelets from the patient’s own blood to rebuild a damaged tendon or cartilage.

It has been successful in not only relieving the pain but also in jumpstarting the healing process.

The patient’s blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge for 15 minutes to separate out the platelets. The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the damaged portion of the tendon or fascia.