Heel bone: diseases and treatment
If walking and any other movements cause pain in the heel, then it is worth considering about going to the doctor. After all, there are many diseases that negatively affect the quality of life. It is worth wondering why the heel bone hurts and how to deal with it.
The main symptoms of heel diseases
Heel pain and discomfort can occur after exercising or, conversely, after a long immobile state. Pain in the calcaneus can significantly increase during walking and even just in case of an attack on the leg.
The calcaneal region swells and grows in size. Inflammation may occur. As a result, redness and high temperature are observed, the cause of which is inflammatory processes.
Unpleasant sensations such as numbness, tingling, or burning may occur.
Contact a specialist for help, tell him the exact symptoms. This will help determine a more accurate diagnosis.
Reasons for
In the heel region, you can find a large number of important components that not only perform a supporting function, but also are responsible for the movement of the foot as a whole. In this place is the heel bone, as well as ligaments, joints and tendons. Pain can indicate the disease of any element.
Bursitis of calcaneus bone
The calcaneus can ache as a result of acute inflammation of the joint bag. This disease is called "bursitis of the calcaneus."Pain may also occur due to inflammation, which has spread to the immediate areas.
The disease is characterized by such symptoms: swelling in the Achilles tendon, severe pain in the heel. An area is formed that eventually blushes and swells. The affected area has a high temperature due to inflammatory processes.
If you were diagnosed with "bursitis" in the hospital, be sure to find out the causes of the ailment. This is to ensure that there is no recurrence. Most often, the risk group includes athletes receiving a large load on the heel bone.
How to treat
Do not self-medicate. After all, the specialist will necessarily take into account all the causes that caused the disease. Do not resort to folk methods, since bursitis can be accompanied by accumulation of pus. During treatment can not rely on a damaged foot, which is fixed bondage or bandage.
If the disease is not acute, then you can be treated at home. Regularly make warm baths and compresses that will help to avoid inflammation. Reduce pain orthopedic insoles, bandages from Dimexide and pain medications. In acute form, hospital treatment is mandatory. Sometimes you have to pierce the inflamed area in order to get rid of purulent accumulations.
Spina bifida
Plantar fasciitis arises from inflammation of the soft tissues in the heel zone. This damage occurs after the extension of the plantar fascia or its tearing. If you do not start treatment on time, then over time, a build-up of deferred salts is formed on the damaged area.
When the disease starts to progress, strong sharp pains are felt in the heel, especially manifested after sleeping or playing sports. Painful sensations are further intensified if the heel is strongly pressed. For the diagnosis is done X-ray, which will be clearly visible bone growth.
How to treat
To begin with, it is necessary to eliminate inflammation of the calcaneus. Then remove puffiness and pain. It is necessary to restore the tissues on the calcaneal hillock. To do this, it is enough to make special compresses on the basis of ointments and medicines, which the doctor will write out.
In a more complex stage, anti-inflammatory injections are introduced in the hospital. A special massage is also prescribed. In no case can not carry out such manipulations at home.
Inflammation in the Achilles tendon
The role of the tendon ligament is to connect the calf muscles to the heel bone. If the lower limbs are too heavy, then in the Achilles tendon there are inflammatory processes. There is very severe pain in the area of the heel. The damaged tendon thickens and blushes. In this case, the injured person can not move independently. Also, the pain in the inflamed heel can be observed after excessive exercise. Very often, the cause of the disease is an improper metabolism, which contributes to the deposition of salts.
How to treat
The most important part of the treatment is the thermal procedures and rest of the lower limbs. To speed up the healing process, you should stretch the gastrocnemius muscles. This will help relax so tight ligaments. Massages and ultrasound therapy should be attended. When the form of inflammation is acute, antibiotics are used.
In order for the treatment process to proceed quickly and successfully, it is necessary to completely limit any physical activity. At home, you can apply ointment dressings and make warm compresses.
Fractures
Injuries to the calcaneus are a very serious ailment, the treatment of which must be approached with all responsibility. Every day the heel experiences very heavy loads. Due to the spongy structure and a large number of nerves and blood vessels, the heel bone transfers all the fractures very painfully. In the risk zone are climbers and people working at altitude. Fracture occurs during a direct landing on the legs from a high altitude or squeezing.
Symptoms of fracture
- Acute abdominal pain. If the ligaments and bones are damaged, self-movement is impossible.
- Very often in the damaged area, bruises form. If open fracture - profuse bleeding.
- The entire heel and area around it swells.
To determine the exact diagnosis, it is necessary to do an x-ray immediately in those projections. Very often fracture of the calcaneus is accompanied by other injuries. If there is a suspicion of a fracture of the spine, the injured person should not be raised until an ambulance arrives.
Bone fracture
Most often, the calcaneal fissure appears when falling from a high altitude.
In this case, swelling and bruising appear. Because of the strong pain, it's very difficult to move around. A crack in a bone is very serious and dangerous, because a person thinks that he has received a normal bruise, and hopes that he will pass by himself. And as a result of untimely diagnosis and treatment - build-up and deformation of the calcaneus. Only an X-ray can determine the exact diagnosis. Treate the crack by correcting the bone and applying gypsum. Sometimes, in particularly severe or neglected cases, they come to an operative intervention.
Rapid recovery from injuries
A fracture of the calcaneus is a very serious ailment, therefore it is necessary to take it with utmost responsibility to eliminate it. After the gypsum is removed, the patient must necessarily undergo a course of curative restorative gymnastics. Such exercises can be performed at home. To perform some of them you will need an exercise bike. To begin training on it it is necessary on socks, gradually transferring a load on heels. The complex of exercises is selected for each patient individually, taking into account the peculiarities of his injuries. Special gymnastics will restore joint mobility and improve blood flow in the extremities. That there were no complications, it is necessary to follow all the doctor's recommendations in good faith.
Prevention of calcaneal disease
Preventive measures should begin with the prevention of premature aging of the musculoskeletal system. For this, follow a few simple but very important rules:
- Be sure to lose weight. Even a few extra pounds will significantly increase the load on the feet. Having solved this problem, you will protect yourself from many health problems.
- Go in for sports, because it is also a guarantee of your health. Do not forget about walking and swimming pool.
- Do not overload the stops. At the slightest painful sensations, contact the hospital. Even behind them may be a serious illness.
- Follow the health of the entire spine.
- Do not let us develop and progress flat-footed.
- Wear comfortable shoes. And wearing shoes with high heels reduce to a minimum.
- If you notice any signs of calcaneus disease, go through the diagnosis. Preventing the disease is much easier than curing it.
And do not forget about proper rest and proper nutrition. Always be in shape, and no diseases of the heels will not be terrible to you.