Heel pain is the most common complaint podiatrists encounter. Many people, roughly 40 million, will suffer with heel pain at some point in their lives. There are many causes of heel pain including sudden weight gain, increased activity, and improper shoes. In addition, arthritis, tumors of the heel and the most common cause- plantar fasciitis can cause pain in the heel or back of the heel.
Who Gets Heel Pain
Heel pain can effect people of all ages from children to seniors and can cause either mild or severe pain. It is common among athletes, especially runners. Often the ligament on the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia, will become swollen or inflamed due to excessive pulling when the foot moves.
Treatment for Heel Pain
Treatment for heel pain will vary depending on the individual's lifestyle and needs. Treatment will begin conservatively with R.I.C.E- rest, ice, compression, elevation. The podiatrist may also recommend stretching. Another painless, effective option that patient's tend to favor is the Laser Therapy.
Laser therapy is a painless in office procedure that is non invasive, meaning no needles or cutting is involved. It is done in the office in about 15 minutes. We have seen great results with this treatment option and patients love the convenience and success rate it offers.
Laser Therapy Treats:
- heel pain
- Achilles tendonitis
- muscle strains
- arthritis
- plantar fasciitis
- and more.
Many other doctors are using the same laser for other treatments such as neck pain, back pain, sports injuries and more. Many professional sports teams are using the laser to treat their athlete's injuries.
The laser works by stimulating healing properties and drawing nutrients to the damaged area increasing healing time and decreasing pain. It has no side effects and requires no pre-testing.
