I’ve Tried EVERYTHING! Why Isn’t My Heel Pain Going Away?

As realists, we understand that it doesn’t always work that way.

By the time many of our patients finally come in to talk with us about their heel pain, they’re beyond frustrated. They’re at their wits’ end, quite honestly. Why? Because they’ve been suffering for months or maybe years, and they think they’ve tried everything.

Taking a few days off your feet? Results don’t last.

Calf stretches? Usually done improperly and at the wrong time in the treatment sequence.

“Rolling the Coke can”? Useless.

New shoes? Typically a waste of money because most people don’t buy the correct shoes.

What more could they possibly try? Are they just doomed to suffer from heel pain forever? Will they ever be able to return to the hobbies and sports they used to enjoy?

Fear not, reader. Because there is still hope.

Heel Pain: More Complicated Than You Might Think

One of the sneaky things you might not realize about “heel pain” is that it isn’t really one single problem or issue with a consistent cause.

On the contrary, heel pain comes in many “flavors.” The most common diagnosis is plantar fasciitis, which is caused by irritation in the plantar fascia underneath the heel and arch. But there are many other possible culprits as well, including Achilles tendinitis, stress fractures, bone spurs, and more.

And it’s not just the diagnosis that matters, either. We also need to consider the underlying causes. This includes things like wearing bad shoes, making mistakes in your exercise routine, or even just having inherited a foot type or structure that’s more prone to developing pain. (Yes, that really happens, unfortunately.)

Different diagnoses and different causes mean that the ideal treatment route for your specific case of heel pain might be quite different from someone else’s—even if that person has the same diagnosis (but different underlying causes) or similar underlying causes (but a different diagnosis).

Basically, even though you think you’ve tried everything, it may well be the case that any of the following scenarios are in play:

• The treatments you attempted were not the right ones for your specific circumstances.
• The treatments you attempted were fine, but not performed long enough or in the correct sequence.
• Your case requires more sophisticated treatment options that you can’t really take care of yourself at home.

Confused? Again: fear not, dear reader. That’s where we come in.

Cut Through the Misinformation and Get the Heel Pain Treatment You Actually Need

As we said in the beginning, you’ll never go wrong if you reach out to us as soon as you notice a problem. So if you’ve been struggling with heel pain for a long period of time and think you’ve tried everything, it’s definitely well past time to seek some professional help.

We take a comprehensive approach to heel pain treatment and management here at Lakes Foot and Ankle Associates. What does that mean? In short:

• We’ll take as much time as we need to examine your feet, talk with you about your symptoms, and arrive at a correct diagnosis and firm understanding of the underlying causes.
• We’ll develop a comprehensive treatment plan to take you all the way from point A (today) to point B (no pain).

As far as in-office treatments are concerned, we are proud to say that we offer many advanced options that go beyond what you’d expect to find in a typical podiatric office. This includes digitally scanned, computer-designed, 3D printed custom orthotics that blow traditional plaster and foam-molded orthotics out of the water. It also includes MLS laser therapy, a non-invasive treatment that can significantly accelerate the natural healing process and help you relieve your pain faster, safer, and without surgery.

But we are also going to make sure you get all the advice, coaching, and instruction you need to complete the healing process at home, and then keep your heel pain away after it’s gone. That might include a detailed list of stretches to perform (and when to perform them), guidance on what kind of shoes you need for certain activities, advice on how to reconfigure your exercise routine or your diet to reduce heel pain, and more.

And if you ever have any questions whatsoever, just call us! Our interest in your recovery does not stop just because you left our office. We are always happy to address any concerns you might have, whether you bring them up directly at your appointment or they come to you after the fact.

(Oh, and if you want to read up on heel pain first before you take the next steps, we have a FREE downloadable booklet covering the root causes and treatment options in greater detail. 

You Haven’t “Tried Everything” If You Haven’t Called Lakes Foot and Ankle Associates

If your primary care physician is Dr. Google, you might get the mistaken impression that heel pain is a cinch to treat at home. And hey—if that worked for you, congratulations!

But the truth is that, most of the time, a bad case of chronic heel pain will need to get checked out by an expert if you really want to get rid of it for good.

And if you’re going to see someone about your heel pain, you might as well choose the practice with the best treatment options and the highest standards of care, right?

If you’re struggling with heel pain, we’d love the opportunity to help you. Just give our office in Commerce Township a call at (248) 360-3888, or complete the contact form below to reach out.