Why does it hurt when your heel steps on the ground?

It is because we humans have a pair of feet that we can travel all over the world. Similarly, all living things can capture food or do what they want with a pair of feet. From this we can see that no matter which species it is, a pair of feet is very important for all creatures. So let's take a look at the reasons why our heels hurt when we step on the ground.

Heel pain is the common name for plantar fasciitis, which is a degenerative change of the plantar fascia at the origin of the heel bone due to repeated trauma. Plantar fasciitis is the most common foot disease, with a reported incidence of 2 million people in the United States each year. There is still a lack of relevant statistical data in our country, but in foot and ankle clinics, such patients account for about 20% of the total number of patients.

Plantar fasciitis affects a wide range of people, including men and women, young, middle-aged and elderly people. But most of them are middle-aged women. The disease is usually unilateral and rarely bilateral.

1. The occurrence of plantar fasciitis may be closely related to the following factors:

1. Excessive exercise, wearing inappropriate shoes, or wearing old shoes for exercise;

2. Standing for a long time or a sudden increase in exercise in a short period of time;

3. Decreased flexibility of the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, and weakness of the intrinsic foot muscles;

4. Obesity;

5. High arched foot;

Heel pain, as the name suggests, is heel pain, and the pain is located on the inner side of the heel. Although patients with severe pain often cannot clearly point out the painful area, a clear tenderness point can be found on the inner side of the heel.

The pain of plantar fasciitis often manifests as initial pain. The most common symptom is that the pain is worst when you take the first few steps out of bed in the morning, and the pain feels like stepping on a nail or being pricked by a thorn. Sometimes the pain forces the patient to stand still for a long time and dare not move.

But after walking a few steps, the pain will be significantly reduced and disappear. Another characteristic is that the pain worsens after weight-bearing activities or a lot of activities, and is significantly relieved after rest. However, the pain will occur again when standing up from the resting place and trying to walk again.

There is no obvious correlation between heel spurs and plantar fasciitis, and most people with heel spurs do not have heel pain. In plantar fasciitis, there is a tiny tear at the beginning of the heel bone. When pressing the inner 1/3 of the heel sole, 90% of patients experience severe pain, but the pain may not be consistent with the degree of pain the patient subjectively feels when walking. Combined with the patient's initial pain symptoms, the diagnosis can basically be confirmed.

2. Treatment:

1. The most basic treatment is to change shoes. Wearing a pair of shoes with strong outer soles and elastic insoles can significantly reduce the impact force of the foot when walking, thereby dispersing the load on the plantar fascia.

2. Use heel pads. Heel pads have two functions. One is to reduce the direct impact on the heel. Of course, using heel pads alone cannot significantly reduce the impact of walking on the plantar fascia. However, combined with the other function of the heel pad - raising the heel, it can reduce the impact on the plantar fascia. Since most patients with plantar fasciitis have decreased flexibility of the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, raising the heel can relax the tense fascia, thereby better absorbing shock.