Our foot consists of 26 bones and the heel bone (calcaneus) is the largest and the most important amongst them. It is designed to provide a firm support to sustain the weight of our body. When we walk, it supports our entire body weight and at the same time acts like an insulator by absorbing the impact of hitting the ground when we perform activities like running.
Mild heel pain can be short-term and may disappear on its own. However, it can even stay longer and turn into a chronic condition which does need immediate attention. When you walk, the stress placed on your heel may be 1.25 times of your entire body weight, and 2.75 times when you are running. Therefore, the heel is quite vulnerable to damage and very painful.
Here are some causes that could be the actual reason of painful heel:
A strong bow-string like ligament that runs from the calcaneus (heel bone) to the tip of your foot is called plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis is nothing but inflammation of the plantar fascia. When plantar fascia is stretched too far, its soft tissue fibers become inflamed. It usually happens where it attaches to the heel bone, but sometimes it may happen in the middle of the foot. Especially after long periods of rest, you may experience pain under your foot if you suffer from plantar fasciitis.
Immediate medical attention should be seeked if you face severe pain accompanied by swelling near your heel. You can undertake home care measures such as resting, using cold compression, massaging, etc. to ease heel pain. However, it is better to visit a physiotherapist who can aid your heel pain by minimizing and completely treating it.