Causes and treatment of heel pain - a heel spur is not always behind it

Created: 03/10/2022Updated: 03/10/2022 2:24 p.m

By: Juliane Gutmann

Heel pain can have various causes.

© Jochen Tack/Imago

If it causes pain while walking and running, a heel spur may be behind it.

But there are far more causes that lead to heel pain.

Suddenly there is a stabbing pain in the heel, every step hurts.

Most now think of a heel spur.

In this case it is an irritation of the tendon plate on the sole of the foot.

Permanent overloading of this so-called plantar fascia leads to small tears and inflammation in the tissue, which can result in calcium deposits.

But it is not always a heel spur* that causes pain in the heel.

, as the Apotheken Umschau informs:

• Damage to the Achilles tendon (tendinosis)

• An inflamed Achilles tendon attachment on the heel bone combined with bursitis and a heel spur 

• Achilles tendon rupture

• Haglund heel (special case of heel spur)

• irritation and inflammation of the bursa (bursitis)

• Damage to the sole of the foot (plantar fasciitis)

• Loss of heel fat pad

• Foot malpositions (e.g. a flat foot)

• Stress fracture of the heel bone

• bone cysts

• plantar warts

• Metabolic diseases such as diabetes*

• circulatory disorders 

• Accumulation of fluid in the bone (bone oedema)

• Constriction of the Baxter nerve (Baxter neuropathy)

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Treatment of heel pain

The first point of contact for heel pain is your family doctor.

He will carry out the first examinations and, if necessary, refer you to a specialist.

Depending on the clinical picture behind the heel pain, the causes are treated first.

, for example in the case of a bone cyst.

This can be filled with bone material, which in the case of a patient at the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich has led to "complete freedom from pain".

In many cases, a heel spur with inflammation of the tendon plate on the sole of the foot (plantar fasciitis) is actually responsible for heel pain.

According to the orthopedic joint clinic in Gundelfingen, this clinical picture is accompanied by

According to the clinic, not only being overweight promotes heel spurs, but also runners and athletes often suffer from stabbing heel pain on the soles of their feet.

After the start of training, the pain often subsides.

In the case of heel spurs and plantar fasciitis, however, it is important to relieve and protect the foot.

According to the joint clinic, stretching exercises of the plantar tendon, shoe inserts and shock wave therapy can speed up healing.

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