Five things you need to know about heel scratches

Every step, the weight of the whole body is on the heel. Not surprisingly, this can lead to heel problems, like bruised heels. Although scraped high heels are rarely serious, they can cause considerable pain, especially when walking. Knowing more about this situation will help you identify symptoms and learn how to treat them.

(image: spukkato/ocistk/getty image s) These are the heel pads under the calcaneus (called calcaneus). This soft area mainly contains fat. It acts as a cushion to protect your calcaneus when you walk. When the heel pad is damaged, small blood vessels will break and form bruises. This can lead to heel bruises, also known as heel pad contusion or heel pad syndrome. Sometimes, the heel pad will be injured by walking on stones or similar objects, resulting in sudden bruises. When this happens, it can be called stones and bruises. More often, heel pads are gradually damaged by repeated heel impact on the ground during daily activities. Repeated injuries can lead to chronic inflammation and thinning of the heel pad, which makes it more vulnerable to further damage.

Jumping and other factors increase your risk

Repeated exertion at the bottom of the heel increases your risk of heel bruising. This may happen if you travel long distances every day. For this reason, another name for the scraped heel is & quot; Police & 39; s heel. & Quot;

repeated hard impact on the heel also increases your risk. Long jumpers, high jumpers, basketball or tennis players and long-distance runners or strong walkers are particularly vulnerable. Overweight causes more weight to fall on the heel, increasing the likelihood of heel scratches.

heel pads may become thinner, which is part of the natural aging process and increases the risk of heel scratches in the elderly. Barefoot walking increases the chances of stepping on rocks or other objects, resulting in sudden scratches on the heel of the foot.

heel pain is expected to be

abrasion of the heel usually causes pain in the middle of the heel. The pain improves with rest, so it's usually better in the morning, but it gets worse as the day goes on. Standing and walking can exacerbate the pain.

If you are not sure if your heel is bruised, grab the painful foot with your hand and gently press it in the middle of your heel with a thumb pad. Keep increasing stress until you feel pain. If the pain is sharp and then decreases when you release the heel, you may have bruised heels. Pain from heel scratches can last for weeks.

Because bruises occur deep in the heel pad, you usually can't see them. Sometimes heel pads swell, but this is not common. Other conditions may cause similar symptoms

Scratched heels sometimes confused with plantar fasciitis-inflammation of fibrous tissue between the heel and the sole. But in plantar fasciitis, pain usually occurs in the front of the heel and extends along the sole of the foot to the toes. It usually gets worse in the morning and improves during the day. Calcaneal fracture can cause pain similar to heel abrasion, but the pain will be more severe and continue until the bone heals. If the heel pad becomes thin and no longer serves as an effective buffer, minor breaks on the calcaneal surface may occur with repeated force on the heel. Acute injuries, such as heel landing when falling, can lead to real fractures. This is the most common cause of bone weakening in elderly people with osteoporosis.

Resting heel by restricting walking is an important method to treat heel bruises. Before symptoms disappear, exercise involving heel landing should be avoided.

When other activities are restricted, alternative activities such as swimming can help maintain health. Ice or hot compress and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil (motrin) or aleve may be useful. Banding heels and wearing well-supported heel pads or shoes are other treatments for scratches.