When you wake up in the morning and step out of bed, you feel a sharp pain in your heel that feels like a nail being driven into it or like an electric shock, and the pain feels a little relieved when you walk a short distance—this is a major physical problem today, especially among women and middle-aged people. Although many people dismiss it as normal fatigue or muscle aches, there are definite scientific reasons behind it. Here are the 5 main scientific reasons behind heel pain:
Plantar Fasciitis: The most important scientific reason for heel pain is plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick, bow-like band of tissue that connects the toes and the ball of the foot at the bottom of our feet. This layer absorbs the shocks that occur when we walk and run. But when there are tiny tears and swelling (inflammation) in these fibers due to excessive pressure, severe pain is felt in the morning.
Heel spur or bone growth (Heel Spur): When there is prolonged constant tension and pressure on the plantar fascia fiber, the body starts to grow a small bone under the heel bone to protect that area. This is scientifically called a heel spur. It can be easily detected through an X-ray examination. The pain is caused by this grown bone pressing on the nearby tissues when walking.
Obesity & Pregnancy: The feet bear the entire weight of the body. When the body weight increases excessively (Obesity), the pressure on the muscles and fibers in the heel increases twice as much while walking and standing. For the same reason, during pregnancy, the fibers relax due to hormonal changes in women and heel pain occurs suddenly due to weight gain.
Wearing the wrong shoes and standing for long periods of time: Wearing shoes with hard soles and no cushioning does not provide proper support to the feet. This problem is also seen in those who regularly wear high heels. Along with this, those who stand on hard floors for hours at a time, such as teachers, security guards, and shopkeepers, also experience pain due to weakening of the fibers in the soles.
Increased uric acid and rheumatic diseases (Gout & Ankylosing Spondylitis): When the level of uric acid in the blood increases excessively, they turn into needle-like crystals and accumulate in the joints of the soles (Gout). Along with this, chronic heel pain can also be an early symptom of hereditary rheumatic diseases such as Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
