Heel Pain

[Jeepers]

I wasn't sure where to put this. If it's in the wrong place, mods please move.

 

For a couple of weeks now I've had heal pain on the left foot. It isn't on the bottom of my foot but in the back. It was the entire area but it now it is mostly only on the left (outer) side. I thought it was getting better but I got a wake up call today. I went shopping and had to come home because of the pain. It isn't getting better at all.

 

I guess it's on the side of the achilles tendon. It feels like the worse open blister you could imagine. A raw burning pain! But there is nothing on the skin at all. It isn't bruised either. I doesn't hurt much just sitting or when I rub on it. Maybe just a little bit. Walking and standing on it is almost unbearable. I didn't hurt it and it isn't bone related. It's been two weeks and I do not want to go to the doctor. She is going to yell at me for weight and high blood pressure issues.

 

Anyone ever heard of such a thing? A firey burning blister pain where no blister exists? Maybe if I knew what it was I could get a better handle on what to do about it. Any ideas?

 

By the way, I've been about 20 pounds over weight for about two years so obesity isn't the issue.

 

 

[Campy]

I am not a doctor.

 

There are several possibilities I can think of based on what you have said (this is from my own experience).

 

1. You may have strained the achilles tendon. Due to minimal blood vessels in and around tendons, injuries to a tendon take substantially longer to heal than injuries to other areas of the body.

 

2. You may have a bone spur OR a chip of bone in that area. I know you said you didn't injure the area, however bone chips have been known to occur in people just from jogging. An x-ray would be needed to determine if this is the case.

 

3. Don't laugh at this - Gout. Gout is caused by a build up of (if I remember correctly) iodide or iodine crystals in the body. There are many foods that can trigger gout. USUALLY it is foods high in iodine (shellfish such as oysters, shrimp, lobster, etc), but there are other foods that can trigger it also. Again, a doctor can tell you what foods to avoid or eat only minimally.

 

Typically, these crystals migrate and collect in the lower extremities of the body. Contrary to popular belief, they do not always affect the big toe. I have to take alpurinol daily because of gout. It has impacted my ankle and on a 2nd occasion my knee and a 3rd occasion my heel. Typical treatment for gout is 5 - 6 days of prednisone (decreasing dose each day 5 pills day 1 4 pills, day 2, etc). This is USUALLY followed with colchasine (spelling ?) AND alpurinol (300 mg) for about 6 - 9 months, then it is just alpurinol for the rest of your life.

 

Hope this is of some help.

[Virginia]

Plantar fascitis (sp?) affects the heels, but this does not really sound like the normal symptons. However, we all know different bodies react in different ways. Might want to read up on that if you haven't. Dr.s can't do much about it in reality. I have it from time to time, finally leaves after a few months to return a year or more later.

[Jeepers]

Thanks guys! After internet surfing, I'm thinking it's something with the tendon. As far as gout, I have had big toe pain in the past. It only lasted a few minutes at a time though. I don't eat seafood or very much meat. It isn't hot and doesn't hurt to touch it. Hummm.

 

Will look up the plantar fascitis thing. If it isn't better by the end of the week I'll break down and call the doctor.

[DenimDaze]

Jeepers, buy a pair of crocs and wear them for the week. Anytime I hear foot or back pain my first suspicion is shoes. If the shoes are a couple years old or your weight has changed, its the shoes!

 

Crocs though not fashionable are the best things to put on for sore and aching feet or back. when I started teaching pre school this year, I learned just what wonders they are. Give it a try, they are a pretty inexpensive fix. Nurses and dental technicians luv their crocs.

[Jeepers]

Deb, I do wear Crocs! The real ones. I have the 2 pair of the clogs and the sandal ones. But, most of the time I go barefoot. Okay, 99% of the time I'm barefoot. But I'm going to put them on and wear them all the time, even in the house to see if that helps. I have nothing to lose at this point. Thank you!

[Skagitgal]

Heel pain is a real bummer.

 

I have a partial solution, [it may not work for everyone]. This was given to me by a very old Doc.; as I had a heel spur removed and it has not been going well.

 

Method; when your heel hurts, sit with the bad feeling foot proped on the opposite leg. Using your hand and thumb, press strongly against the heel, [start at the ankle and slide the thumb down to the bottom of the heel]

 

This strips the latic acid buildup out ot the tissues. Caution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!this hurts like a son of a gun.

 

Move your thumb over the width of it, and strip again. You will hate me for suggesting this, and feel you don't have to inflict such pain voluntarly. But do it once, it will work. Use your thumb and finger pressure where ever it hurts. Always work down towards the bottom of the heel.

 

Try it on both feet. Both will react the first time, the hurt foot will react the 2nd. time.

 

Latic acid is the buildup in the muscles that causes pain and soreness; especially when over doing an exercise type hurt.

 

I appreciated the info; I like non-invasive treatments and it does help me. Here's hoping it might help you. Skagitgal.

[Ambergris]

Lie face down on the floor with your knees bent and your shins propped comfortably against a footstool or something about that height. If you feel an immediate relief, try Skagit's lactic acid stripping technique.

[Jeepers]

Thanks for the advice. The thing is, it doesn't hurt unless I'm standing on it. I did the downward rub thing and it didn't hurt at all. I then kneaded it pretty hard and that didn't hurt it either.

 

I can sit on it in different positions and it still doesn't hurt it. I'm wondering if it might be some sort of a nerve issue? Especially with the burning pain.

 

Sigh. I'll try the Crocs and the rubs throughout the week though.

 

Thanks again all.

[DenimDaze]

good luck!

[HSmom]

Any chance you have Type 2 diabetes? I don't recall your general age. But it often goes along with high BP and overweight - though you are not much overweight- and aging. What about family history of diabetes? If so, I would get seen - yesterday. Diabetic persons are susceptible to neuropathies due to poor circulation. Damage is often permanent. If your doctor is rude, find another one.

 

I am the Queen of Heel Pain (just ask my physicians, surgeon, pharmacist and family) and what you describe does not sound like anything I've heard of...

 

[Jeepers]

HSMom, I'll be 56 Friday. I don't have diabetes that I know of. I had blood work done about 2 years ago for high cholesterol meds. It didn't show anything. I had one aunt who had diabetes that was controlled with pills but she was obese. I take meds for the BP and cholesterol. It has me stumped too but it sure hurts to walk with it.

 

My doctor is really nice. I just don't want to face the music especially since I told her I was going to start exercising to help with my chlosterol, blood pressure and stamina. That was 2 years ago.

 

If I wait to call her Friday, I won't get in til next week. By then I can start exercising so I can honestly say I'm doing it. Also, I can get my hair cut and wear shorts...that should knock off an extra pound from the scale. And my Crocs only weigh about an ounce....

[Mother]

I had burning heel pain for some years off and on. I am obese by any terms but always have been overweight so it wasn't an increase in weight. My blood work didn't show high uric acid levels ( a marker for gout) at that time (it does now though) and they couldn't find a reason for the pain, no spurs or anything like that. Like you, it only hurt when I was on it.

 

My doctor gave me an exercise to do which seemed to help some. It was simply to put a piece of 2X4 about a foot away from a wall, put my toes on it and with my hands on the wall lean towards the wall with straight legs a few times, (like a mini push-up) then lean towards it a few times with my knees slightly bent. It was meant to stretch the tendon and muscles there to loosen them up I believe.

 

Still, the pain didn't subside until an old timer told me a better remedy that DID work. You see, I was always barefoot too and thick skin (callus) had built up on my heels over the years and I never noticed it. I had to use a rasp to start slowly removing the callus from my heel. I soaked my feet before hand to help soften them and within a week the pain was gone. Now it returns only if I neglect to take care of my feet.

 

BLESS OLD TIMERS

 

This might not be your case of course and pain of any kind is meant to tell you something is wrong. Be sure to check out the possibility of diabetes too. There is a way to check out the cause of the pain by ice and heat. With nerve pain ice usually works best, with muscle pain (in the abscence of an injury and swelling at least) heat feels better. MIGHT give you a clue.

 

 

[Jeepers]

Thanks Mother. I'll try ice on it. It's the strangest thing. I can rub on it and move it all around in circles and up and down and it doesn't hurt a bit. I don't have any callouses at all. The 99% time I'm barefoot is when I'm in the house. Outside, I wear shoes. Maybe I do need to stretch the tendon. I'll keep moving it around.

[FlaGal]

Go see a podiatrist; I had similar symptoms and the podiatrist took x-rays of my feet and found I had two bone spurs around my heel area.

 

They took molds from my feet to make orthotic inserts for my shoes and I haven't had any pain for the past 10 years. The orthotics last forever (they're hard plastic), go into my shoes, and keep the tendons in my foot from flexing over the heel spurs.

 

The lack of pain is wonderful! Don't delay going to the doctor - that's my recommendation. Oh, and with insurance the orthotics only cost me around $30.00