Heel Pain Specialist
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Andrew R. Harrison, DPM
Podiatrist located in San Jose, CA & Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA
Heel pain is one of the most frustrating kinds of pain because it can steal your ability to walk and function. At locations in the Lower Pacific Heights area of San Francisco and San Jose, California, board-certified podiatrist Andrew R. Harrison, DPM, MS, has the expertise and the tools to provide heel pain treatments personalized for you. Call the office in your area or use the online booking tool.
Heel Pain Q&A
Why do I have heel pain?
Heel pain happens for a few reasons, including as a result of these common conditions:
Flat feet
Flat feet and heel pain often happen at the same time. This is because, with little to no arch support, your tendons and ligaments are subject to excessive strain.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis occurs when the tissue connecting your heel and toes is severely irritated. This is the most common cause of heel pain. Plantar fasciitis often happens in conjunction with heel spurs, bony hooks on the plantar heel.
Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis results when the long tendon that inserts at your ankle becomes highly irritated.
Other possible reasons you might have heel pain include plantar warts, arthritis, bursitis, Haglund's deformity ("pump bump"), and Sever’s disease in children.
How do you determine the cause of heel pain?
Dr. Harrison starts by examining your feet, observing your feet in motion, and discussing your symptoms with you.
In many cases, the next step is imaging using the on-site digital X-ray and ultrasound machines. X-rays can show your bones while ultrasounds show your ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissues.
With this information, Dr. Harrison can diagnose your condition and come up with a treatment regimen to help relieve your heel pain.
How do you treat heel pain?
Dr. Harrison offers a number of heel pain treatments, with common options including:
- Activity modifications
- Changing your shoes
- Custom orthotics
- Physical therapy
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Steroid injections
Often in flatfoot cases, associated heel pain is the direct result of misalignment of the heel and ankle bones. A minimally invasive surgery called HyProCure® can realign those bones and keep them stable using a tiny, implanted titanium stent.
Another minimally invasive surgical procedure for heel pain is endoscopic plantar fascia release. In this procedure, Dr. Harrison makes a tiny incision and uses a skinny tube containing a miniature camera to access your heel.
He can then view your heel as he detaches the plantar fascia, makes incisions in the plantar fascia, or removes bone spurs. This eliminates the source of your pain without requiring major surgery or protracted downtime.
Dr. Harrison reviews all your heel pain treatment alternatives and helps you find a solution for long-term pain relief.
Call the office of Andrew R. Harrison, DPM, MS, or book an appointment using online scheduling.