Heel Pain
Heel Pain Care at UVM Health
Chronic heel pain can interfere with your quality of life. It can reduce your ability to walk and participate in the activities you enjoy. At University of Vermont Health, we diagnose the underlying cause of your heel pain and offer effective treatments to help you get back on your feet.
Our team includes foot and ankle surgeons, podiatrists and specially trained advanced practice providers. This collaborative approach allows us to offer a full range of nonsurgical and surgical treatments for heel pain.
Why Choose UVM Health?
Our team cares for people across Vermont and northern New York with underlying foot and ankle problems that cause heel pain. As one of the leading orthopedic programs in the region, we offer:
- Patient-centered approach: We take time to listen to your needs and preferences, offering a personalized care plan that prioritizes nonsurgical treatment. We only recommend surgery when it’s the most effective option.
- Convenient services: We offer convenient access to on-site services, such as X-rays, that allow us to make efficient diagnoses and get you started on treatment right away. Podiatrists and advanced practice providers throughout the region provide expert care for heel pain, meaning you can access care no matter where you live in Vermont or northern New York.
- Research emphasis: As part of a health system anchored by an academic medical center, our physicians are active researchers, many of whom are training the next generation of experts. We are at the forefront of research into foot and ankle care.
Causes of Heel Pain
Many conditions and injuries can lead to heel pain. Some of the most common causes of heel pain include:
- Achilles tendonitis: Swelling and pain in the thick band of tissue connecting the heel to the calf muscles
- Haglund’s deformity: A bony bump at the back of your heel
- Plantar fasciitis: Inflammation and irritation in the thick band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot
- Nerve entrapment syndrome/tarsal tunnel syndrome: A pinched or compressed nerve in your foot
Diagnosing Heel Pain
When diagnosing heel pain, your specialist will examine your foot, ankle and heel. Then they’ll ask about your symptoms, including when they started, how they’ve progressed and what (if anything) relieves them.
We may use several tests, including:
Heel Pain Treatment
Heel pain often gets better without surgery. Our team starts with a noninvasive approach, only recommending surgery when it’s the most effective option. Heel pain treatment may include:
Your provider may recommend a period of immobilization in a walking boot or a cast. This can help decrease swelling and relieve pain.
Your provider may recommend over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines. These medications help decrease swelling, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Our specialists may recommend wearing different shoes or using shoe inserts that improve your foot’s alignment and relieve pressure. You may also use commercial or custom orthotics that change your foot’s position, decrease pressure and correct deformities.
A physical therapist can teach you exercises that improve your strength, flexibility and range of motion. They may also use hands-on techniques that stretch your muscles and joints to promote healing.
Your provider may inject a steroid medication directly into the area where you have pain. This helps to reduce inflammation and swelling and relieves pain.
In severe cases, you may benefit from surgery to release your plantar fascia. Our podiatrists use both open and minimally invasive techniques to make a small incision in the plantar fascia, relieving tension and pain.
Supportive Care at Home
We provide support to families in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties caring for older adults and people with chronic conditions.
Locations Near You
1110 Prim Road
Colchester, VT 05446
75 Park Street
Elizabethtown, VT 12932
101 Adirondack Drive
Suite 1
Ticonderoga, NY 12883
187 Park Street
Suite 2
Malone, NY 12953-1233
1311 Barre Montpelier Road
Suite 400
Berlin, VT 05602
192 Tilley Drive
South Burlington, VT 05403-4440
1311 Barre Montpelier Road
Suite 400
Berlin, VT 05602
116 Porter Drive
Middlebury, VT 05753-8501
76 McNeil Road
Suite 2
Waterbury Center, VT 05677-7162