The amount of stress we put on our feet and heels in a normal situation is a lot. Having too much weight on your frame, and especially being obese, can make this much worse and cause extreme heel pain, and a variety of other medical issues. Losing weight and staying active and fit is always important, but if your weight is the reason for your heel pain, it’s time to deal with that, as well.
With offices in Quincy and Dedham, Massachusetts, Marshall L. Lukoff, DPM, FAAFS will diagnose your specific heel pain and offer a variety of treatments to reduce or eliminate it. Our staff at Foot Care Specialists, PC understands how difficult it can be to do the simplest everyday activities when your feet are in that much pain. We’ll literally get you back on your feet and without those nagging, daily aches.
Weight and heel pain
There can be many issues contributing to the pain in your heel, and whether it is under your heel or behind it will reveal a lot. Heel bursitis is when the back of the heel becomes inflamed due to footwear issues or landing too hard or too awkwardly. Achilles tendinitis is often caused by running or jogging. And heel bumps happen more in younger people because the heel bone is not fully developed and they may be wearing high heels too early, or just have flat feet.
Not surprisingly, a lot of the issues that affect the area under the heel can be caused by too much weight and stress on the heel. Obesity changes the gait and makes people walk and step differently, and this has a major impact on the hip, back and lower extremities. Plantar fasciitis is a very common cause of heel pain and is clearly associated with obesity and being overweight.
The plantar fascia is the ligament that connects the heel bone to the base of the toes. When it’s stretched too much, often because of heavy and awkward steps, it becomes very painful, inflamed, swollen, and tight. This is plantar fasciitis, and if the condition persists and is not treated, it can lead to heel spurs, a bony, calcium protrusion that’s also painful.
Healing heel pain
Dr. Lukoff will start with the more conservative approach, depending on your level of pain. This can include stretching and physical therapy, night splints and orthotics, and icing, resting and elevating your heel at night. And of course, getting you to lose weight and take the pressure off the area is always advised.
If your pain is intense or chronic, we have more involved treatments, though they’re still minimally invasive. Our team at Foot Care Specialists, PC is big on technology to help you heal faster. We use the Multi Radiance Medical’s MR4™ laser, which goes right into the soft tissue and plantar fascia to reduce pain and inflammation. We also offer AmnioFix® Sports Med Regenerative, which is injected into the same area.
Both of these treatments induce your body to heal itself. But if your weight is one of the reasons for your heel pain, you just risk having the pain and injury return. This needs to be taken care of as well. Call us or use the easy Request Appointment button as soon as possible and let us get you the relief you need.