Answer:
You have been suffering from chronic heel pain as mentioned. I would like to assure you first that chronic heel pain never turns into cancer. There are very little complications of this problem. Rarely it may turn into osteoarthritis and most the common consequence is chronic pain in the feet.

The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fascitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia - a broad band of fibrous tissue which runs along the bottom surface of the foot, from the heel to the toes) and heel spur. This condition can be very painful and cause considerable amount of suffering.

Long standing inflammation causes the deposition of calcium at the point where the plantar fascia inserts into the heel. This result in the appearance of a sharp thorn like heel spurs on x-ray. Symptoms include a dull ache which is felt most of the time with episodes of a sharp pain in the center of the heel or on the inside margin of the heel.

Often the pain is worse on first rising in the morning and after rest and is aggravated by prolonged weight bearing and thin soled shoes. Excess body weight is also an important cause of heel pain. Therefore it should be checked.

Treatment of heel pain depends entirely upon the cause of the problem. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the cause of your symptoms before embarking on a treatment programme.

Most patients with plantar fasciitis respond to non-surgical treatment (it includes exercise and stretches, applying ice packs, shoe inserts and orthotic devices, anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroid injection etc.) while a small percentage of patients may require surgery.

Your physician will determine which approach would be most beneficial for you.

Send health related queries to Your Doctor, Star Health, The Daily Star, 19, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka 1215 or e-mail your problem to [email protected]