Bone Pain Back Of Heel | safe4cure

Four out of five occurrences of heel pain are caused by plantar fasciitis, which is the most frequent cause of bone pain back of heel. The thick band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that links the heel bone to the rest of the foot becomes inflamed and swollen in plantar fasciitis.

Causes

A bursa serves as a lubricant and cushion for muscles or tendons moving across bone. Around the majority of the body's main joints, including the ankle, there are bursas.

By the heel, the retrocalcaneal bursa is situated in the back of the ankle. The area is located underneath the thick Achilles tendon that joins the calf muscles to the heel bone.


This bursa may irritate and inflame if the ankle is overused or used repeatedly. It could be brought on by excessive running, walking, or leaping.

Achilles tendinitis is frequently associated with this ailment. Achilles tendonitis and retrocalcaneal bursitis can occasionally be confused.

Risks for this condition include:

  • starting a rigorous exercise regimen
  • Without the proper training, abruptly increasing activity level
  • modifications in activity level
  • Inflammation-based arthritis has a history

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

  • Back of heel pain, especially when walking, running, or touching the area
  • Standing on your tiptoes could make your pain worse
  • The skin on the back of the heel is red and heated.

Heel pain is a prevalent issue. Even if the cause is usually not serious, the pain can nevertheless be very bad and even incapacitating.

Overusing your foot can result in heel pain. Running, especially on hard surfaces like concrete, tightness in the calf, Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of the large tendon connecting the calf muscle to the heel), unsupportive shoes, a sudden inward or outward turn of the heel, or landing awkwardly or forcefully on the heel after a jump or fall are all potential causes.

Bursitis (inflammation of the bursa at the back of the heel), bone spurs in the heel, and plantar fasciitis (swelling of the thick band of tissue on the bottom of the foot) are all issues connected to heel pain.

Exams and Tests

If you experience retrocalcaneal bursitis symptoms, your doctor will ask about your medical history. The source of the pain will be identified through an examination. The doctor will also inspect for redness and pain in the heel's back.

Your ankle may hurt worse if it is dorsiflexed upward. Alternatively, standing on your toes could make the pain greater.

Most of the time, imaging tests like X-rays and MRIs won't be necessary at first. If the initial therapies are ineffective, you could require these tests in the future. On an MRI, inflammation may be visible.

Treatment

Your provider may recommend that you do the following:

  • Avoid pain-inducing activities.
  • Numerous times every day, apply ice to the heel.
  • Use NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, which are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines.

    To lessen stress on the heel, try putting over-the-counter or custom-heel wedges in your shoe.
  • To minimize inflammation, try ultrasound therapy during physical therapy.

Have physical treatment to increase your ankle's flexibility and strength. Your Achilles tendon will be stretched with particular attention. This can aid in the recovery of the bursitis and stop it from returning.

Your doctor might inject a tiny dose of steroid medication into the bursa if none of these treatments are successful. Avoid overstretching the tendon after the injection because it could rupture (tear).

If Achilles tendinitis is the cause of the condition, you might need to put on an ankle cast for a few weeks. Rarely, a bursa that is inflamed may require surgery to be removed.

Read more about other pain – Upper Back Pain and Leg Pain