Heel Pain - Podiatrist in Paterson and Paramus, NJ - Henry Slomowitz, DPM

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Heel Pain - Podiatrist in Paterson and Paramus, NJ - Henry Slomowitz, DPM

Dr. Henry Slomowitz discusses the symptoms, causes and treatments for Heel Pain.

http://www.hurtheel.com

Heel Pain and Heel Spur Treatment New Jersey - Offices in Paramus and Paterson NJ

One of the most common problems seen in the podiatrists office is heel pain. Most commonly the patient complains of pain in the morning as they take their first step. They can also complain that the pain gets worse at the end of the day. Although some of these people will have a heel spur on an x-ray, it is well known and understood that heel spurs do not cause heel pain but are the result of the real problem. On the contrary many people do not have a heel spur but have significant pain.

Whenever I get a negative x-ray of a painful heel I always perform a sonogram of the heel to examine whether or not there is an inflammation of the ligament that attaches to the heel. This ligament is called the plantar fascia and when inflamed is diagnosed as plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is the term commonly used to refer to heel and arch pain traced to an inflammation on the bottom of the foot. More specifically, plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue, called plantar fascia, that stretches from the base of the toes, across the arch of the foot, to the point at which it inserts into the heel bone.

There are many causes of plantar fasciitis. These include tightness in the back of the leg, stiffnes of the bunion joint, as well as a problem with the timing of the patients gait. A very recent study demonstrated that people with one leg longer than another will usually be symptomatic on the longer side.

This condition is often successfully treated with conservative measures, such as the use of anti-inflammatory medications, ice packs, stretching exercises, injection therapy, orthotic devices with lifts to balance both legs, and physical therapy.

ESWT (Electro Shock Wave Therapy) is a painless procedure performed in the office that is non-surgical. It works very well when all other treatments have failed. It sends deep vibrations to the area of pain to stimulate healing.

Injection therapy is a very common treatment and yet for many years, there was really no standard way to be sure that the medicine was getting into the right area. If you have had injections but they have not worked, the first question to ask is "How was the needle guided to the right area?" I always use ultrasound to guide the needle into the affected area as a surgeon might use the same modality to biopsy a breast mass.

In persistent cases, Radio Frequency Lesioning might be needed.

This is a medical treatment and does not require any cut to the skin or stitches. You can return to work right after the procedure is finished.

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