My posts on heel pain and calcaneal fractures are by far my most popular blog posts because heel injuries come in all different shapes and sizes. Whether you missed a step while walking down a flight of stairs or you received a stone bruise from stepping on an object during a walk, there’s so many different problems that can plague your feet.
I try to provide the best advice I can to those looking for guidance with their heel injury, but HIPAA laws and my inability to see the injury firsthand limit my ability to provide the most accurate forecast. So while I generally recommend you seek out a foot and ankle specialist if your symptoms continue or worsen, here are five tips for treating heel pain.
1. RICE – You’ve probably heard that you should Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate a heel bruise in the days after the injury, and the simple advice works for a lot of people. Resting the injury keeps you from continuing to stress the injury, and the other aspects help cut down on bruising and swelling. More often than not, RICE is the best method for minor heel bruises.
2. Crutches or Knee Scooters – A heel bruise is a painful injury. Bruises don’t heal when you continue to contuse the tissue. For example, NFL players have prolonged healing from thigh bruises, as they continue to contuse the affected area. Sitting out a football game is easy, but staying off your feet is much harder. We provide crutches and rolling scooters for heel bruise and calcaneal fractures to keep patients from weight-bearing on the limb for a set amount of time. Consider crutches or knee scooters if you have to get around.
3. Let Healing Run Its Course – Sometimes the hardest thing to do is wait, but you have to be patient with heel injuries. Healing takes time, especially if it is a deep tissue bruise. Continue to find ways to keep from stressing the injury, and let the healing process run its course, even if it’s taking longer than you had hoped.
4. Massage and Exercise – If, over time, you begin to notice sensory changes in the bottom of your foot, you might be dealing with another condition that developed out of the heel bruise. Sometimes Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome or nerve entrapments can cause problems after a stone bruise. Along with RICE, massages and range of motion exercises can alleviate scar and nerve adhesions. Cortisone treatments and surgery to correct the problem are also options if conservative options fail.
5. See a Specialist – Going to the doctor isn’t always fun, but neither is walking around in constant pain. If your injury is significant enough, symptoms worsen or RICE just isn’t doing the trick, swing on into a orthopedic specialist. They have all the tools to figure out exactly what is wrong with your foot.