Heel Pain Causes & Choosing a Podiatrist

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Admin

In this fast-paced world, our feet suffer a lot of abuse. With busy work schedules and activities that require walking, playing or standing on hard surfaces for long, the feet suffers the most when compared to any other body part. Heel pain is one of the most common health problems affecting nearly two million Americans each year.

The cause? Plantar fasciitis. It occurs when the plantar fascia, a ligament that extends from the heel to the forefoot, slowly begins to separate or detached from the heel bone. When this occurs and lasts for a long time, the body tries to generate new bone to heal that area, causing severe pain. The pain is usually stronger when one sets foot on the floor up in the morning and after standing too long.

Treating Heel Pain – Choosing a Podiatrist

In order to treat your heel pain, you need to consult a podiatrist. Consulting in time can be helpful in avoiding further complications and surgery. So how exactly do you choose a podiatrist? Well, we have tried to make things easy for you. Below are few of the things that you need to keep in mind which choosing a podiatrist.

Firstly, you can find a podiatrist through various resources. You may ask your general physician or your family doctor. Friends and relatives who may have previously had heel pain issues may be able to recommend a good podiatrist. If these do not help, you can website of the board of podiatry for each state. The details of podiatrist in the state are included in the website. Your health insurance company will also have a list of podiatrists and it can also be used as a resource to find good podiatrist.

Before you begin treatment, consider the following:

• Location of the podiatrist: The location where the podiatrist practices is important as this will determine how far you will have to travel for treatment. In case of acute heel pain, traveling can be a problem. Therefore make sure that you do not have to travel too long in order to get treated.

• Working Hours: Check on their office timing and whether it suits your schedule. Another thing to note would be, how long would it take for you to get an appointment. This is important as you may at times have an emergency.

• Lab Facility: It’s better to go to a podiatrist with lab facility. This is to ensure that you do not have find another lab in order to get your tests done.

A veteran of 25 years, Dr. Brown is a renowned Michigan podiatrist specializing in foot surgery, and the treatment of many conditions related to foot and ankle pain such as heel pain.