My husband is having really bad heel pain everythime is steps down? Any ideas what this could be?
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Evaluation and treatment \n\nHeel pain can have many causes. If your heel hurts, see your doctor right away to determine why and get treatment. Tell him or her exactly where you have pain and how long you've had it. Your doctor will examine your heel, looking and feeling for signs of tenderness and swelling. You may be asked to walk, stand on one foot or do other physical tests that help your doctor pinpoint the cause of your sore heel. Conditions that cause heel pain generally fall into two main categories: pain beneath the heel and pain behind the heel. \n\nPain beneath the heel \n\nIf it hurts under your heel, you may have one or more conditions that inflame the tissues on the bottom of your foot: \n\n\nStone bruise: When you step on a hard object such as a rock or stone, you can bruise the fat pad on the underside of your heel. It may or may not look discolored. The pain goes away gradually with rest. \n\nPlantar fasciitis (subcalcaneal pain): Doing too much running or jumping can inflame the tissue band (fascia) connecting the heel bone to the base of the toes. The pain is centered under your heel and may be mild at first but flares up when you take your first steps after resting overnight. You may need to do special exercises, take medication to reduce swelling and wear a heel pad in your shoe. \n\nHeel spur: When plantar fasciitis continues for a long time, a heel spur (calcium deposit) may form where the fascia tissue band connects to your heel bone. Your doctor may take an X-ray to see the bony protrusion, which can vary in size. Treatment is usually the same as for plantar fasciitis: rest until the pain subsides, do special stretching exercises and wear heel pad shoe inserts. \n\nPain behind the heel \n\nIf you have pain behind your heel, you may have inflamed the area where the Achilles tendon inserts into the heel bone (retrocalcaneal bursitis). People often get this by running too much or wearing shoes that rub or cut into the back of the heel. Pain behind the heel may build slowly over time, causing the skin to thicken, get red and swell. You might develop a bump on the back of your heel that feels tender and warm to the touch. The pain flares up when you first start an activity after resting. It often hurts too much to wear normal shoes. You may need an X-ray to see if you also have a bone spur. \n\nTreatment includes resting from the activities that caused the problem, doing certain stretching exercises, using pain medication and wearing open back shoes. \n\n\n\nYour doctor may want you to use a 3/8" or 1/2" heel insert. \n\nStretch your Achilles tendon by leaning forward against a wall with your foot flat on the floor and heel elevated with the insert. \n\nUse nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for pain and swelling. \n\nConsider placing ice on the back of the heel to reduce inflammation.
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Flat feet, weak ankles, see your doctor.  this could be corrected with arch supports
400782
See a podiatrist.  I had the same problem and it turned out to be inflammation on the tendon that runs the entire length of my foot.  With proper shoe support and shoe inserts, the problem has pretty much gone a way.    The arch is where you need the most support.  Good luck to you, that is very painful.
280384
It could be some kind of neurological problem.  You can see a podiatrist or a chiropractor.
858199
What did your doctor suggest it might be? It could be something inflamed and pressing on a nerve or muscle, or it could be a circulation problem. I have a herniated disk in my lower back that causes similar symptoms, it's called sciatica. You can read about that condition here. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=167\nRest is a good thing to let inflamation go down, and of course there are specific excercises to take the pressure off of particular area. Most important thing I can tell you is to talk to your doctor. If he doesn't answer your questions, ask again. You should be in control when visiting the doctor. Don't leave the office in the dark. Hope this helps.
857007
Sounds like poor circulation.  You might want to ask your doctor.  I think poor circulation in your feet can be a sign a diabetes.
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It could be muscular or nervous. Either way I would get to a doc asap as you don't want to risk tearing your achilles tendon. \n\nCould be a nerve that is misfiring as well. Ask your hubby to trend when it happens.\n\nWhat time..day or night.\nDoing anything prior?\nWhen wearing shoes, barefoot.\nCan it be triggered by manipulating the tendon with your fingers. \nCan it be triggered by pressing firmly with your finger on the base of the heel (bottom of the foot).
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I've had heel spurs two other times and it seems like it is coming back again. The first time I went to the doctor countless times and had shots in my foot. It was terrible and didn't really seem to help. It finally seemed to go away on its own. The second time I had a hs it took about 2 years to go away and i just waited. This time it seems to have come on from wearing flip flops and leather slide-in 2 inch heal clogs type shoes. I had deviated from my I Love Comfort shoes- flat with some arch support. I have been reading that stretching, ice and good arch support is crucial. Surgery? I wouldn't - my friend had it and she got hs again a few years later. For an old fashioned idea i had a lady tell me to cut a lemon in half and grind your heel into the lemon once or twice a day. I never tried it- maybe I will this time. Good luck and google for information too.
177704
Hi, I had the same problem before. Use heel cushions with your shoes. You will have a relief for sure.\nGood luck!
27077
Probably planar fascitis caused by weak arch support or worn heels.\n\nIf the heels of your athletic shoes are worn down, get new shoes.\n\nOtherwise, try an sturdy arch support.  Buy one from the drug store or home health store that is stiff and costs about $25 per pair.  It is best to get the kind that you can heat or boil, then mold to your foot.  To do that, put it in your shoe with insulation on top, then stand on it for a few minutes.
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I usually get this problem during the winter, but for some reason right now have that problem even with wearing regular shoes and it has been like summer for a number of months now.  I recently bought Avon's Foot Works cracked heel relief cream.  It works very well, and also has lidocaine in it so it will help the pain.  I highly recommend it.  I cannot give you a direct webpage at Avon as when I did a search it did not give an exact url.  You can just go to their site and do a search for the name.
1121444
Check with his Dr  before using the answers for medical advice.  Nobody here really knows your husbands condition
873135
Ask him for more if you need more- if he won't =ask him about getting a referral to pain management clinic-it should be made manageable - or at least tolerable- D
1088062
This could be plantar fascitis and/or heel spurs.\nYou can look it up at WebMD.\nThey have recommended treatment too.\nYou might want to have a doc check it out.
206235
Sounds like plantar fasciitis.  May be related to poor circulation, or poor fitting/supporting footwear.  If you don't smoke or have a problem with GI bleeding or PUD or NSAIDS, or have other co-morbities, you might want to try using ibuprofen for pain.  You might also want to discuss this problem with your primary care doctor.
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Take him to a medical doctor. Please do not seek answers to your husband's medical problems on Internet.Unless off course your are far away from medical help.
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What is the treatment of a heel spur?\nTreatment of heel spurs is the same as treatment of plantar fasciitis. Because these problems are related, the treatment is the same. The first step in the treatment of a heel spur is with short-term rest and controlling the inflammation. Here are the steps patients should take in order to cure their plantar fasciitis and heel spurs: \n\nRest\nAvoiding the precipitating activity; for example, take a few day off jogging or prolonged standing/walking. Just resting usually helps to eliminate the most severe pain, and will allow the inflammation to begin to cool down. \n\nApply Ice Packs\nIcing will help to diminish some of the symptoms and control the heel pain. Icing is especially helpful after an acute exacerbation of symptoms. \n\nExercises and Stretches\nExercises and stretches are designed to relax the tissues that surround the heel bone. Some simple exercises, performed in the morning and evening, often help patients feel better quickly. \n\nAnti-Inflammatory Medications\nAnti-inflammatory medications help to both control pain and decrease inflammation. Over-the-counter medications are usually sufficient, but prescription options are also available. \n\nShoe Inserts\nShoe inserts are often the key to successful treatment of plantar fasciitis. The shoe inserts often permit patients to continue their routine activities without pain. \n\nNight Splints\nNight splints are worn to keep the heel stretched out when you sleep. By doing so, the arch of the foot does not become contracted at night, and is hopefully not as painful in the morning. \n\n\nThese modalities alone will cure the plantar fasciitis pain in most patients. Be forewarned that the symptoms will not resolve quickly. Most patients find relief within about three months, and over 90% within one year. \n\nIf the pain does not resolve, an injection of cortisone can decrease the inflammation of plantar fasciitis. However, many physicians do not like to inject cortisone because there are potentially serious problems with cortisone injections in the heel area. The two problems that cause concern are fat pad atrophy and plantar fascial rupture. Both of these problems occur in a very small percentage of patients, but they can cause a worsening of heel pain symptoms.