Possible Causes of Heel Pain

Video transcription

Hi! My name is Patrick McCarthy. I'm a doctor of physical therapy here at Wilmington Orthopedic Group. I'm here to talk to you today about heel pain. Heel pain can be caused by a various number of issues. One being plantar fasciitis, other being bursitis in the heel. Plantar fasciitis and bursitis can both be kind of prevented if proper footwear is one way. You know, there's plenty of over-the-counter orthotics such as heel cups, medial wedges, arch supports. But really the important thing to do is just pay attention to the number of mileage that you're getting in your shoes. A common thing is once our shoes go by a certain mileage they tend to lose the amount of cushion. If you're a frequent runner or if you're just standing up on your feet a long period of time at work, those different mechanics can put different stresses on the foot. So also try to not wear the same pair of shoes for standing up as far as running. Treatment for heel pain can be about the same, you want to try to just get some stretches. However, you know, if you're really concerned you should probably look into getting evaluated by a licensed physical therapist so they can properly diagnose. And that's just a couple of ways to approach the problem of heel pain.