Heel pain is a common foot or ankle problem. There could be many reasons for this problem but it is more likely to happen after a certain age. In older age, many people suffer from heel pain, especially females. Heel pain makes it difficult to walk and perform daily activities. It is important to know the exact reason for your heel pain as many heel conditions can be solved without surgical treatment. Here are a few reasons that could be the cause of your heel pain.
Changes in feet shape
As you age, it happens that the shape of the feet changes to flatter or wider. As your feet flatten, it becomes difficult for the arch of the foot to distribute the bodyweight equally. Eventually, unequal and improper distribution of the bodyweight on the foot leads to damage and strain. As the foot gets flattened at a certain age, the heel fat pad wears out more quickly and more stress lands on the heel bone and makes it achy.
Ill-fitted footwear
Wearing ill-fitted footwear for the long term is not good for the foot or the heels in particular. Lifetime use of heels and uncomfortable footwear can result in heel pain and plantar fasciitis in older age. Wearing heels or ill-fitted shoes force the foot into an unnatural position which leads to damage and strain and results in painful heels. Thus, it is important to choose the right footwear.
Changes in the skin
As you age, your skin becomes more delicate and inelastic. The more your skin becomes drier and softer, the chances of several blisters, lesions and calluses. Along with it, soft tissues like heel fat pad becomes less elastic and less able to cushion the heel resulting in painful heels.
Obesity
If you have been obese in your life then chances are high that you may develop heel pain. When your body weight is more than the desired weight, it puts pressure on your foot and this pressure leads to pain. Try to maintain your weight from a certain age otherwise, it will cause pain and discomfort in older age. It is advisable to maintain the amount of uric acid inside your body otherwise it will result in discomfort and pain in heels.
Exercise or sports
If you are in sports and spend a lot of time running or jumping then the chances are high that you may develop pain in your heels at an older age. Also, if your exercise includes a lot of footwork it may also lead to painful heels.
