5 Common Causes of Heel Pain

Question: The heel of my foot really, really hurts. What could be causing this?

Answer: Although many conditions can cause heel pain, most of them are caused by exercise-related injuries. Some common causes of heel pain include:

1. Plantar fasciitis: This painful condition commonly occurs when the connective tissue between the heel bone and the sole becomes inflamed, causing varying levels of pain. The pain commonly hits its peak during the morning, due to a buildup of stiffness. What increases your risk: Having flat feet, repeatedly running on hard or even surfaces, or wearing shoes that don't cushion the soles.

2. Bursitis: Prefer rocky pavement over paved surfaces? Be warned-constant overexertion can cause bursitis, or an inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs between the tendons and bone. This can cause immediate pain, tenderness, and swelling around the heel bone. Unlike plantar fasciitis, the pain doesn't waver, and can lead to chronic swelling and tenderness on the back of the foot.

3. Achilles tendinitis: If the Achilles tendon is overexerted, either due to running, basketball or other high impact activities, the tendon can inflame, causing localized pain and swelling. Formally, this condition is called Achilles tendinitis, or inflammation of the Achilles tendon. You'll know it by its characteristic symptoms, which include warmth, swelling, and increased heel pain while walking or running.

4. Stress fracture: Running or jumping on hard surfaces isn't just bad for your tendons-it can also put unnecessary stress on your bones, leading to a painful stress fracture. Over time, this can cause gradual pain around the heel bone. Fact: According to About.com, this is a common cause of heel pain among long distance runners-the overexertion increases their risk for foot fractures.

5. Tarsal tunnel syndrome: It's unknown why this occurs, but when the nerve inside the tarsal tunnel-the small space between your foot's bones and compressed tissue--is compressed, it can cause a chronic, painful condition called tarsal tunnel syndrome. You'll know it because it causes a burning and tingling sensation on the bottom of the foot.

Other Causes

Other common causes of heel pain include heel spurs and bruising on the back of the foot, caused by trauma and overexertion. Your diet, weight and genetics may also play a key role.

Source(s): Johnathan Cluett, M.D., "Heel Pain" (About.com)