Heel pain is one of those pains that most people tend to brush off as not too serious. In fact, unless the pain leaves you unable to walk, few ever seek a doctor to receive treatment. However, ignoring heel pain because it may come and go could be detrimental to the overall bone health within your foot. The foot has over 20 bones, 30 joints, and 100 tendons. All of these must work together in order for you to run, jog, walk, and jump without pain. If one of these areas of the foot become inflamed, stretched, or fractured, it can lead to pain in different areas of the foot. There are some common signs you should bypass at home treatments and seek a podiatrist. Joliet has numerous podiatrists who can treat your heel pain and other foot conditions, so don’t hesitate to seek out healthcare.
The Pain Gets Worse
If you’ve been using at-home treatments like Epsom salt soaks, ice, heating pads, and stretches and the pain is only getting worse, you may need a doctor. If you don’t know the cause of your pain, you could be making a condition worse by using different home remedies. Sometimes stretches can do more harm than good, and in some cases, you only want to use heat or only ice and not both. That’s why seeking the services of reputable podiatrist in Joliet is imperative if you have heel pain.
You are Unable to Bear Weight on the Heel
It seems like common sense to see a doctor if you can no longer walk well, but some people will continue resting the foot and attempting at-home treatments even after struggling to walk. That’s because many people believe the doctor will simply say that the foot just needs time to heal, so they take as much time as possible trying to heal it before visiting a doctor. However, the inability to bear weight on your foot could mean a fracture, a torn tendon, or heel spurs. For a complete diagnosis, it’s best to have tests and x-rays done with a podiatrist at Joliet office. Waiting too long to seek treatment may only cause more problems.
For podiatry services from a reputable podiatrist in Joliet, visit Suburban Foot & Ankle Associates