Heel pain help!

My son is currently two years and ten months old. Lately, he has been complaining about sudden, sharp pains in his heel; it hits him out of nowhere, though the discomfort seems to pass just as quickly as it arrived. He has also experienced a significant growth spurt recently. Could this rapid physical development be the underlying cause, or is there something more serious that warrants medical concern? 😢

It’s likely some kind of foot deformity—flat feet or something along those lines. My advice? Go see an orthopedic specialist...

Hey,

For the last month, I’ve been dealing with this nagging pain on the outer edge of my right heel. It only flares up when I’m moving fast—I play a lot of pickup soccer on concrete courts, so I’m guessing I just hammered it too hard at some point. Now, every time I play or try to put weight on that specific spot, it stings. When I’m just walking normally, it feels fine.

Has anyone here dealt with something similar? How did you fix it? The timing is terrible because preseason training starts in a week, and this is definitely going to be an issue.

My crew and I always run into this whenever we're wearing totally flat shoes—you know, more often during the summer when it's all ballet flats, flip-flops, or even some of those trendy sneakers.

Maybe you just haven't noticed that might be the culprit!

What am I supposed to do, play soccer in high heels? 😂 Just kidding... honestly, I’d probably have better luck playing on grass with actual cleats.

Amanda Doyle74 said:My group and I deal with the exact same thing whenever we wear completely flat shoes. It usually happens during the summer—think ballet flats, flip-flops, or even those trendy sneakers.

You might have overlooked that specific cause.

Man, you were spot on.🙏 I just picked up some new cleats and everything seemed fine, but I can't believe this... they're going straight in the trash. Thanks for the heads-up.

I’m reaching out because my mother has been dealing with constant heel pain lately... it doesn't seem to matter how much she walks or what she's doing. She isn't particularly active in sports, but she does go for walks every single day. On top of that, she’s struggling with some degenerative changes in her lumbar spine and has hip issues as well. She used to deal with nerve impingement running down her leg quite often. Back when she was younger, she was very athletic and sustained quite a few injuries during that time. So, I was wondering if anyone here might have any insight or advice on this? Thanks in advance.

I can't offer personal experience here—that's out of my lane—but you might want to dig into this:

http://www.dietetica.com/health/heel-pain.html

Typically, the culprits are weight issues and poor gait mechanics—simple as that.

No, she isn't overweight; she's just normal size.

I know it’s totally possible to develop one of those annoying little "thorns" or whatever you call them in your heel that just stabs at you constantly, and sometimes you actually have to go under the knife to get it fixed! You should definitely check in with a doctor about it, though I can't quite recall the exact medical term for it right now.

See, I told you so!

If you’re dealing with constant foot pain, there’s a very good chance you’re battling either a heel spur or plantar fasciitis, both of which are essentially syndromes caused by inflammation in the connective tissue that can make anything from a nagging ache to an absolutely excruciating sensation.

The plantar fascia itself is this critical ligamentous structure running along the bottom of your foot from your heel all the way to your toes, and its job is incredibly vital because it maintains your arches and acts as a shock absorber every single time you take a step, meaning that every single stride puts stress on it that can lead to inflammation or even structural damage.

When you have prolonged stress or irritation right where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone, you end up developing a heel spur, or what doctors call *lat. calcar calcanei*, which is actually just your body’s way of trying to protect itself by creating a calcium deposit at the tendon attachment to prevent further injury.

That little calcium deposit—which looks just like a tiny thorn—works to shield the attachment point on one side, but on the other side, it presses right into the soft tissue and nerves, triggering that intense inflammation and pain along the bottom and inner part of your heel, and it’s usually at its absolute worst first thing in the morning when you stand up and feel that stiffness and discomfort, starting out sharp before potentially easing up after a few steps, though in tougher cases the pain just stays constant, and patients often report feeling it both right at the spot and radiating through the whole foot.

You typically see this popping up in people who do a lot of jumping, running, or walking, especially if they aren't wearing supportive shoes or if they have flatter feet, particularly those with high longitudinal arches.

Treatment plans are always tailored to how bad things currently are, ranging from anti-inflammatory meds and conservative approaches like physical therapy and manual manipulation to full-on surgery for those most severe cases.

The whole goal of treatment is to heal those damaged structures, dial down the pain, stretch out the tight spots, and get those leg muscles nice and strong, so we utilize a huge variety of physical procedures including cryotherapy, various types of electrical stimulation, deep transverse massage, and targeted stretching of the affected tissue, but from day one, you really need to be wearing proper footwear and using orthotic inserts, getting plenty of rest, avoiding activities like standing or walking for hours on end, and athletes definitely need to modify their training routines to make sure they aren't overworking that plantar fascia.

If you don't treat it properly or if you ignore it entirely, you can end up with chronic tissue changes that are incredibly difficult to fix with standard methods, which unfortunately means surgery becomes the only real option left.

From what I’ve seen:
They pretty much don't even do that surgery anymore—or if they do, it's super rare. My orthopedic surgeon straight up told me it wasn't worth the hassle. Instead, I just went through physical therapy—did some laser stuff and ultrasound to deal with the splintering sensation—and honestly? The pain just vanished and the inflammation cleared right up.🙂

Up until today, I have been dealing with constant, unrelenting pain in my heel. It was absolutely unbearable, particularly if I stood for an extended period or even just walked short distances. The only time I found any relief was while I was sleeping. I tried everything under the sun, and my physical therapist suggested the root cause might actually be stemming from my lumbar spine... However, yesterday I came across a post by a fellow forum member (I can't recall which one specifically) who recommended toe-inversion stretching exercises. The routine takes about five minutes. I decided to give it a shot, and it actually seems to be working. In addition to that, I would suggest performing ankle rotations; they seem quick and highly effective. I also recommend wearing proper orthopedic inserts with a heel cup design—specifically designed for the base of the heel—and adjusting your gait so that the weight isn't concentrated solely on the heel, but rather distributed across the entire foot or, ideally, shifted toward the forefoot. I strongly urge anyone suffering from similar issues to try this exercise. There is absolutely nothing to lose.

I’m looking for some advice regarding footwear: I’ve been dealing with this nagging plantar fasciitis for about two years now. I’ve already burned through two totally different sets of orthotics, gone through a full round of physical therapy (lasers, electrical stimulation, the whole nine yards), and collected a mountain of both amateur and professional advice—it’s been all over the map. Honestly, I just don't have the time to be my own doctor; I try the rosemary oil massages, but let's be real, I'm not exactly consistent with that. What’s really killing me, though, is the shoe situation. I’ve hit up every specialized shop and commercial retailer in Washington, D.C. (think Ecco, Geox, or those boutique spots... I won't list them all), but everything I try ends up being a disappointment. It’s either too tight, lacks support, doesn't have enough shock absorption, or some other flaw. Don't even get me started on house slippers—though I did recently find a pair at the Hemingway clinic that I actually highly recommend. Shoes, however, are a lost cause so far. Any suggestions?
Always grateful🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Robert Harris80 said:I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with something similar—any advice on how you fixed it? My issue is that soccer preseason starts in just a week, and this timing really isn't helping.

I’ve definitely been there—I play soccer on concrete almost every day, and my right heel has been acting up; I'm right-footed, by the way. I can walk or even run without much trouble, but if I put weight specifically on that heel—almost like something is shifting inside it—that's when the pain kicks in...
It’s been bothering me for over a year now, I think—or maybe even longer, though I suppose I might not have been paying close enough attention back then.

I’m really hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction or offer some advice!
It’s been happening for a while now, where I get this sharp, stabbing pain in my heel specifically when I'm urinating. It feels almost like someone is literally driving a knife into my heel and then twisting it, which sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but it’s a really uncomfortable sensation that only pops up when I'm standing over a toilet or at a urinal.
I'm just trying to figure out if there's any smart advice you all might have on what steps I should take or what kind of specialist I should go see to actually get some relief?
Thanks so much in advance for any help you can give...