Pain in Heel of Foot

Updated on January 31, 2010
A.R. asks from Pompano Beach, FL
16 answers

Hi I have had pain in my foot when ever I walk for 5 days. I work all night I am a cashier and all i do is walk at work and i have a 4 year old at home all day so i don't get much rest. I haven't missed work because of it. I have an appt with the doctor in a couple days he is gonna do xrays. Anyone have any suggestions what it could be and also does anyone think I will have to miss any work for this.

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M.A.

answers from Fort Myers on

It could be plantar fasciitis. stretching helps with that too, but I had to go to physical therapy for it.

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L.W.

answers from Miami on

It could be a bone spur, which they would shave off, or a planters wart which they would cut out. Both are caused by pressure to the feet. My husband had a planters wart removed and was only off his fee that day. After that he invested in a good supportive pair of shoes.

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R.

answers from Tampa on

I have had the same problem for months but have not gone to the doctor yet. It started when I began to exercise. It kills my feet when I take walks.

I had some reflexology work on my feet and she said it has something to do with my hips and uterus. I did have an accident 6 yrs ago that really did a number on my hips. My chiropractor feels the same as the reflexologist.

Let me know what comes of your doctor visit. I am curious. I am Trying the natural route first.

R. @ ____@____.com

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I had something similar. And I had done nothing noticeable as far as injuring my foot.. no falls, no stepping in holes, no anything that I could recall. The Dr. diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis. There are stretches that you can do that can help. I did them and they seemed to. But the MOST helpful thing to me was a suggestion my doc gave me about using ice on it. He said to freeze a cheap can of soda and then (wearing a sock of course) use your foot to roll the frozen can back and forth on the floor. It applies pressure and stretching to the foot and the coolness of an "icepack" much more effectively than a plain ice pack.
It worked for me! In a matter of days. And it hasn't come back (been almost 3 years) even though I read that it often does.

(And I don't believe there is ANY connection between plantar fasciitis and plantar warts as one poster suggested.)

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topi...
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0201/p467.html

Edit:
For Caryn: HA HA... I asked whether I should be worried about it exploding.. it didn't, for the record. It just had one end bent out of shape end a little, lol. But no explosion! I kept putting it back in the freezer for months... just in case. Eventually I thawed it out and threw it away.

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K.F.

answers from Dallas on

my son has Achilles Tendonitis ( he is 12)
the pain sounds like where your pain is.
Ibuprofin helps.
Ice helps. Get a small dixie cup, fill it 3/4 with water, put it in the freezer, then after it is frozen, hold it on the heel.
STRETCHING helps the most. Stretch the calf muscle. Stretch 3 times a day.
Also, you can get a heel pad at CVS pharmacy or walmart and that really helps.
good luck.
being in pain is no fun!

A.L.

answers from Naples on

I don't know about plantar fasciitis (though here is a website that might be helpful in that regard, www.plantar-fasciitis.org), but I have pain in my left heel. I find it's often worst in the morning. I have moderately flat feet and as a SAHM for many years I am often barefoot or in flip flops. When I started working at an office and wearing regular shoes the pain went away. When I stopped working at the office and went back to my old footwear habits, the pain came back. My thought is that you need more arch support. What kind of shoes do you wear for work? I hope that the website or my thoughts help. We take our feet for granted but they need just as much TLC as the rest of us. I hope you figure out what's wrong and get it taken care of. Best of luck.

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L.G.

answers from Phoenix on

I don't know a lot about this, but when my 5 year old son complained of the same pain I would stretch his feet/legs every night. Sit on the floor and pull your toes back towards you head and hold the stretch, do it for 5 minutes every day. Maybe you need shoes with special support!? Good luck.

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L.N.

answers from Sarasota on

Hi, it could be heel spurs or planter fasciitis. This is an inflammation of the tissue under your foot. I had this at one point and it can be painful, but there are things the doctor can do to help you. Good luck

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

Plantar Fasciitis. Stretch your calf muscles frequently and take your other foot and pull the other foot straight up towards your tummy while laying down. It takes a few months to go away. HAd it many times, being an athlete.

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R.W.

answers from Tampa on

If it's your heel it's more than likely a bone spur...Do not let them operate if it is. My Sister In Law had the operation and says she wishes she never did. I refused the operation and got the shots. But I also lost weight like the doctor said. I also taking the extra calcium. A bone spur is nothing but built up calcium. I haven't had any pain in years.

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M.H.

answers from Fort Walton Beach on

Hi A.,

I agree with Denise that it might be plantar fasciitis. That's a type of wart(plantar's wart) that is under the skin so you really can't see it. If you pour hydrogen peroxide on the area it will show it faintly like a black light shows white. Even a tiny one will give you terrible pain. They're really contagious and spread fairly quickly. If it's small, high grade tea tree oil (melaleuca oil) will heal it over the course of a few days to weeks. If it's large you may need to resort to surgery. These types of warts hurt and are serious because they are stringy and wrap themselves around nerve endings and also blood vessels.

Another option is simply a "stone" bruise. These come from landing on your foot wrong or wearing non-supportive shoes. The pain from a stone bruise and a plantar's wart are almost identical.....

Hope I helped!

M.

P.W.

answers from Dallas on

I had mild pain in my foot for a couple days and then all the sudden I couldn't even put it down. I had a mild fracture and they put me in a removable boot. There was no pain when my foot was in the boot. The heel doesn't necessarily sound like a break to me. You may just need some therapy, or it may just be bruised altogether. When possible put your foot up until you get in to the doctor. Don't panic. It may just be a little sprain. Often sprains hurt more than a break.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

A.,
It might be plantar fasciitis. Does it REALLY hurt when you get out of bed in the morning? If so, stretching helps, as do arch supports worn in your shoes. Google it to see if the symptoms are similar.
At the risk of sounding like a Bubba, I'm sure you know how important it is to wear shoes with really good support, especially ig you are on your feet a lot. Good luck!

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C.P.

answers from Gainesville on

I have heard the same as the previous poster with the coke can. If you're afraid of exploding soda, my MIL's physical therapist suggested freezing tennis balls . Probably the cold doesn't last as long, but same concept and no explosions in your freezer :)

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T.O.

answers from Sarasota on

Your symptoms, plus the fact that you're on your feet constantly, sound like my problem--- plantar fasciitis. You can do a Google search and find out a ton of information about it. If it turns out that's what it is, it's usually easily treatable. Extremely painful if it goes untreated, so it's smart that you're addressing the problem now. Best of luck!

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

If the pain is in the bottom of your heel it could be heal spur that might require surgery. If it is around the edge of your heel, the only way I can describe it is where the heel gets really dry and cracked, then it's a type of tendonitus and excercise and possibly physical therapy can help strengthen that area.

I have always been a girly girl and worn heels to work, college, out every night dancing, etc...when I got a job in home health I couldn't wear heels and started wearing flat shoes. Within a month I could barely walk because the pain was so intense. I would stand at the sink and do dishes and cry. I had physical therapy 5 days a week for over a month to just get the inflamation down where I could just walk. They massaged it, made me do stretching excercises, and iced it down in weird boots. The stretching excercise basically consisted of standing on the edge of a step with my toes on the step and the rest of the foot hanging off. I would push down with my heel and that would stretch those tendons connected to the ball of the heel bone and the muscles in the back of my calf. That gave me much relief. I also found that Motrin or another inflamation reducer works well also.

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