Pain in the back of your Heel?

Do you have continued pain in the back of your heel? This is a common complaint, whether a runner, soccer player, or average person. The Achilles tendon attaches to the back of our heel bone, and irritation of this tendon can cause pain in the back of the heel or on the back of the ankle. In most cases, the inflamed tendon is called and treated as tendinitis. When inflamed, the area can feel tight, achy, or painful with movement or activity. Also, there may be swelling of the area or thickening of the tendon. Sometimes, there can be micro-tears in the tendon, which can cause symptoms that are similar to tendinitis. Achilles tendon injuries can be caused by trauma or injury, overuse, diabetes and other health conditions, obesity, foot/ankle structure, poor shoe choices, or the way the person walks. Initial treatment of Achilles tendinitis involves ice, rest, heel lifts, orthotics, strapping of the ankle, anti-inflammatory medication, rest, physical therapy, and immobilization. If patients are not improving with these conventional treatments, an MRI may be ordered to check for tears in the tendon. Tendon tears can require casting, walking boots, or surgery depending on the severity. Some patients also rupture the Achilles tendon, which involves tearing it apart horizontally. This is an emergency and requires surgical intervention in almost all cases. Do you have pain in your heel? Come in for a visit to discuss your pain! oakparkpodiatry.com or 708-763-0580 By the way, I do not hire professional writers or marketers to write my blogs, email posts, or market my practice. I wrote this blog based on the types of patients I have seen this week. I hope you find it helpful!