If walking and any other movements cause pain in the heel, then you should think about going to the doctor. After all, there are many diseases that negatively affect the quality of life. It is worth wondering why the calcaneus hurts and how to deal with it.
Main symptoms of heel disease
Heel pain and discomfort can occur after playing sports or, conversely, after a long immobile state. Pain in the calcaneus can increase significantly while walking and even just stepping on the foot.
The heel area swells and increases in size. There may be inflammation. As a result, there is redness and high temperature, the cause of which is inflammatory processes.
You may experience discomfort such as numbness, tingling or burning.
When asking for help from a specialist, tell him the exact symptoms. This will help determine a more accurate diagnosis.
Reasons
In the heel area, you can find a large number of important components that not only perform a supporting function, but are also responsible for the movement of the leg as a whole. In this place is the heel bone, as well as ligaments, joints and tendons. Pain may indicateabout the ailment of any element.
Heel bursitis
The heel bone can hurt as a result of acute inflammation of the articular bag. This disease is called "calcaneal bursitis". Pain may also occur due to inflammation that has spread to nearby areas.
The disease is characterized by the following symptoms: swelling in the Achilles tendon, severe pain in the heel. An area is formed that reddens and swells over time. The affected area has a high temperature due to inflammation.
If you are diagnosed with bursitis in the hospital, be sure to find out the causes of the disease. This is necessary to prevent a relapse. Most often, the risk group includes athletes who receive a large load on the heel bone.
How to treat
Never self-medicate. After all, the specialist will definitely take into account all the reasons that caused the disease. You should not resort to folk methods, as bursitis can be accompanied by the accumulation of pus. During treatment, do not lean on the injured foot, which is fixed with bondage or a bandage.
If the disease has not acquired an acute form, then you can be treated at home. Regularly do warm baths and compresses, which will help to avoid inflammatory processes. Orthopedic insoles, Dimexide dressings and painkillers will reduce pain. In the acute form, inpatient treatment is mandatory. Sometimes you have to pierce the inflamed area to get rid of purulent accumulations.
Spurcalcaneus
Plantar fasciitis occurs due to inflammation of the soft tissues in the heel area. This damage occurs after the plantar fascia is stretched or torn. If treatment is not started in time, then over time, an outgrowth of deposited s alts will form on the damaged area.
When the disease begins to progress, severe sharp pains are felt in the heel, especially manifested after sleep or sports. Pain is even more intensified if you press hard on the heel. For diagnostics, an x-ray is taken, on which the bone growth will be clearly visible.
How to treat
First you need to eliminate the inflammation of the calcaneus. Then remove swelling and pain. Be sure to restore tissue on the heel tubercle. To do this, it is enough to make special compresses based on ointments and medicines that the doctor will prescribe.
At a more difficult stage, anti-inflammatory injections are administered in a hospital setting. A special massage is also prescribed. In no case should such manipulations be carried out at home.
Inflammation in the Achilles tendon
The role of the tendon ligament is to connect the calf muscles to the calcaneus. If too much load falls on the lower limbs, then inflammatory processes appear in the Achilles tendon. There is very severe pain in the heel area. The damaged tendon thickens and turns red. In this case, the injured person cannot move independently. Also, pain in the inflamed heel can be observed after excessive exercise. Very often, the cause of the disease is the wrong metabolism, which contributes to the deposition of s alts.
How to treat
The most important part of the treatment is thermal procedures and rest of the lower extremities. To speed up the healing process, you should stretch the calf muscles. This will help to relax such tense ligaments. You should visit massage sessions and ultrasound therapy. In the acute form of inflammation, antibiotics are used.
In order for the treatment process to proceed quickly and successfully, you need to completely limit any physical activity. At home, you can apply ointment bandages and warm compresses.
Fractures
Injury of the calcaneus is a very serious illness, the treatment of which must be approached with all responsibility. Every day, the heel experiences a very large load. Due to the spongy structure and a large number of nerves and blood vessels, the calcaneus suffers all fractures very painfully. Climbers and people working at height are at risk. The fracture occurs during a direct landing on the legs from a great height or pressure.
Fracture symptoms
- Sharp sharp pain. If the ligaments and bones are damaged, independent movement becomes impossible.
- Very often, hematomas form on the damaged area. If the fracture is open, profuse bleeding.
- The entire heel and the area around it swells.
To determine the exact diagnosisyou need to do an x-ray immediately in those projections. Very often, a fracture of the calcaneus is accompanied by other injuries. If there is a suspicion of a spinal fracture, the injured person should not be lifted until the ambulance arrives.
Cracked bone
Most often, a calcaneus fracture occurs when falling from a great height.
In this case, swelling and bruising appear. Because of the intense pain, it is very difficult to move around. A bone fracture is very serious and dangerous, because a person thinks that he has received an ordinary bruise, and hopes that he will go away on his own. And as a result of untimely diagnosis and treatment - outgrowths and deformation of the calcaneus. Only an x-ray can determine the exact diagnosis. The crack is treated by repositioning the bone and applying plaster. Sometimes, in especially severe or neglected cases, they come to surgery.
Fast recovery from injuries
Fracture of the calcaneus is a very serious disease, so its elimination must be taken with full responsibility. After the plaster is removed, the patient must undergo a course of therapeutic restorative gymnastics. These exercises can be done at home. To perform some of them, you will need an exercise bike. You need to start training on it on socks, gradually transferring the load to the heels. A set of exercises is selected for each patient individually, taking into account the characteristics of his injuries. Special gymnastics will restore joint mobility and improve blood flow in the limbs. Tothere were no complications, you need to conscientiously follow all the recommendations of the doctor.
Prevention of diseases of the calcaneus
Preventive measures should begin with the prevention of premature aging of the musculoskeletal system. To do this, follow a few simple but very important rules:
- Be sure to lose weight. Even a few extra pounds will significantly increase the load on the feet. By solving this problem, you will protect yourself from many he alth problems.
- Go in for sports, because it is also the key to your he alth. Do not forget about hiking and visiting the pool.
- Don't overload your feet. At the slightest pain, go to the hospital. Even behind them, a serious illness may be hiding.
- Keep your whole spine he althy.
- Don't let flat feet develop and progress.
- Wear comfortable shoes. And keep high heels to a minimum.
- If you notice the slightest signs of disease of the calcaneus, get a diagnosis. Prevention is much easier than cure.
And do not forget about proper rest and proper nutrition. Always be in shape, and no heel disease will scare you.
