How would missing several weeks of work due to heel pain impact your life? Jairus Byrd, the safety for the Buffalo Bills is yet another professional athlete that has succumbed to heel pain this summer. Byrd will likely miss the first part of the season with foot pain that has plagued him for approximately a year.
Heel pain seems to be a trend this summer amongst professional athletes, as well as the general public. Plantar fasciitis is the usual culprit for causing this pain. You may wake up one morning and experience that sharp stabbing pain, or more commonly it starts off quite mild and many people describe a bruised feeling. But the pain continues day after day and if left untreated can become quite crippling and may force you to take time off work especially if your work involves a lot of standing.
Treating heel pain, like treating any other medical condition, requires a thorough examination to determine the cause and then addressing that cause. Often with heel pain, your feet are rolling in (pronating excessively) which puts excessive pull on the plantar fascia and causes it to tear away the outer lining of the heel bone. This cause s inflammation, swelling and PAIN!
Other possible causes of heel pain include an increase in activity, an increase in body weight, poor footwear or incorrect footwear for your foot structure. An often overlooked cause of heel pain is neural tension in your spine. This tension may cause the muscles of the lower leg to fire abnormally and therefore put excessive stress on the soft tissues. And sometimes there is no apparent reason for heel pain. Either way, there are steps to take to help you get better faster. Find out if custom orthotics would be right for you!
At Abbott Foot & Ankle Clinic, we can help you determine the cause of your pain and then provide a variety of treatments to stop that pain. Call our Collingwood foot clinic today (705) 444-9929 or schedule an appointment online.