Heel Pain-Part 3

There are some patients that have heel pain that is not caused by plantar fasciitis. Another frequent cause of heel pain is a stress fracture of the heel bone or calcaneus. The calcaneus is the biggest bone in the foot and can become injured from repetitive microtrauma (walking on a hard surface all day, running, jogging, marching), an injury (falls, jumps) and other causes. Poor bone density, chronic diseases (diabetes, peripheral vascular disease,cancer,autoimmune diseases), poor biomechanics, and poor shoegear can also contribute to an injury of the heel bone. Injuries to the calcaneus may be visible on x-rays, but sometimes, a more advanced test like an MRI may be needed to properly visualize the fracture or injury. Stress fractures of the calcaneus require immobilization. On some occasions, bone stimulators or surgery are indicated for severe cases. Heel pain? Give us a call, 708-763-0580.