Many patients come in with a painful red swollen area on the back of their heel. This may be caused by irritation of the skin at the site, may be shoe gears such as high heels; might be a bony deformity or possibly a fracture. Typically a foot doctor will evaluate the area with an xray. Which is very helpful in the treatment plan. If the problem is a bone spur there are a multitude of treatments. We typically try to treat he problem conservatively with a custom orthotic and try to change the pitch or the angle of the way the heel lands in the shoe. Obviously trying to decrease heel height may be helpful. Other forms of treatment are trimming callous tissue and applying a pad in the area to decrease pressure at the site. Surgical intervention is only used when conservative therapy fails.
Podiatrist - North Andover
451 Andover Street
North Andover, MA 01845
(978) 794-8406