Infections of the Heel and How to Treat It

It is extremely important that you seek the advice of a physician or other health care provider rather than try to treat the heel yourself.

If you have the following symptoms, it could be a sign of an infection of the heel: Fever; warmth or redness of the heel area, as well as any other unusual symptoms.

The manner in which the heel pain should be treated depends on the cause of the problem. Therefore, it is extremely important that you seek the advice of a physician or other health care provider rather than try to treat the heel yourself. If the pain is not too severe and you notice no sign of infection, you could treat the condition yourself by following these guidelines. (But keep in mind that not all of the treatments will be suitable for every condition.) First of all, rest and avoid the activity that may have contributed or caused your heel pain. Do not jog or engage in continuous walking or standing for a few days. By merely resting, you may eliminate the most acute pain, and let the inflammation settle down. Ice down the area with ice packs; this will help relieve some of the symptoms and control the pain. It also reduces inflammation.

You may also perform certain exercises and stretches in order to relax the tissues around the heel bone. If you perform simple stretching exercises in the morning and evening, you may find that you feel better more quickly.

Take over the counter anti-inflammatory medications which should decrease inflammation and help control the heel pain.

Use shoe inserts. These may be all you need to alleviate your heel pain, and you might be able to go about your usual activities pain-free.

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