COURT HOUSE – Pain at the bottom of the foot can affect people of all ages and across all activity levels, so it is no surprise that pain in the heels and arches of the foot are the most common symptoms for some people. The arch of the foot performs many different functions, from absorbing shock to allowing patients to balance and stabilize their movements. AS the arch is both flexible and weight-bearing, pressure that begins in the arches can cause pain throughout the foot as well as the ankles, knees, hips, legs and back.

People can suffer heel and arch discomfort for many different reasons, including excessive running, hereditary conditions, or ill-fitting shoes. Heel pain may also be due to other causes, such as a stress fracture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation, or in rare cases, a cyst. Because there are several potential causes, it is important to have heel pain properly diagnosed. The causes could be from the following conditions:

*Plantar fasciitis. Heel pain is most often cause by plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. People with plantar fasciitis usually have stabbing pains on the bottom of the heel that increase over a period of months and is typically most painful when they get up in the morning.

*Flat Feet. One of the structural problems that may lead to arch pain is flat feet, sometimes known as fallen arches. Arches normally form in children’s feet when they are two or three years old, and a failure to develop normal arches in one foot or both feet can cause problems later in life. Flat feet can cause pain in the arches, lower legs,and ankles, and can combine with other risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

*Achilles tendinitis. The Achilles tendon is a band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the calf muscle of the leg. Increased physical activity can cause the tendon to become inflamed, causing pain, swelling, and tenderness along the back of the heel. People with Achilles tendonitis may have difficulty rising up on their toes, experience pain when stretching the tendon, and suffer decreased rand of motion in the ankle.

*Sevier’s disease. Sevier’s disease occurs in growing children and adolescents and is a condition that causes pain in the growth plate in the heel. Growth plates are initially made of cartilage, but are replaced by solid bone as the child grows.

Charles Birk is a Diplomate, American Board of Podiatric Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons as well as certified in Ultrasound Diagnostic Technology, and Board Certified in foot surgery.

To learn more about heel and arch pain, or other foot-related problems, go to www.DoctorBirk.com or call 609-465-1644 for an appointment.

Dr. Birk has two locations in Cape May Court House and Beesleys Point, NJ.