If you are you experiencing a painful bump on the back of your heel at the location where your Achilles tendon attaches to the bone, then you may have Haglund’s deformity. While this abnormality frequently affects women who wear high heels (the pump bump), it can affect anyone who often wears shoes with rigid backs.
People who overpronate and those with tight Achilles tendons are more susceptible to developing this deformity. The constant pressure on the heel causes a bony enlargement to develop creating extreme pain, swelling, blistering, and sometimes bursitis may occur.
Things you can try at home to relieve pain
Wearing shoes that don’t rub on the heel such as sandals or clogs will help remove the source of the friction. Applying ice to the heel will reduce swelling. You can try adding heel pads to your footwear backs to ease pain and rubbing. If you have a tight Achilles tendon or high arches, always use the recommended orthotic shoe inserts and perform daily tendon stretching exercises.
Other treatment options:
If the bump continues to grow and the pain becomes worse, there are several other options for treatment that your foot doctor may suggest. These include:
- Custom shoe inserts—By redistributing the pressure, these inserts can relieve pain and discomfort.
- Pain treatment—Oral and topical pain and inflammation reduction medications like ibuprofen are very helpful.
- Foot immobilization—It may be necessary to wear a walking boot or soft cast so the foot can heal properly.
If these methods do not improve the condition, a surgical option to reshape the bone may need to be considered.
If you are experiencing heel pain, schedule an appointment with the Foot First Podiatry in New Albany, IN. Our highly qualified podiatrist Dr. Zahid Ladha is committed to providing the highest quality foot and ankle care for you and your feet. Contact us at (812) 945-9221 and schedule an appointment today!