The Bump That's Got You Stumped

So, you are feeling pain on your heels when you wear your tight dress shoes or you go running. The discomfort you are feeling could be due to Haglund’s Deformity. It earned its nickname, because it often hurts the most when women are wearing their high heels. However, this is not a condition that only affects women. This comes from an enlarged bone on the heel that is irritated when your shoe rubs up against the enlarged bone. This deformity can cause pain in the area of your Achille’s tendon, swelling, redness and tenderness. Often times, you will find that wearing backless shoes will relieve the pain. This is because there is nothing applying pressure to your heel. However, for most of us, we can’t wear these shoes all day long.

With many other foot issues, this results from particular foot types. These include walking on the outside of your foot, a high arch and an inflamed Achille’s tendon. After years of repetitive walking on this part of your foot, the Haglund’s deformity will form and cause a broad spectrum of pain for the individual. This can be a condition that can limit your activity.

Your podiatrist can help relieve this pain through several different treatment plans. These depend on how large the bump is. This can be determined through X-Ray and from this a treatment plan that will best suit you can be determined. This can range from padding to surgery.

Choosing to work through the pain can lead to additional injury. The deformity can cause the bursa between the tendon and the bone to become inflamed. This leads to a condition called bursitis. By seeking immediate medical attention initially, you can prevent these other complications from occurring.

Since this condition is a result of a foot type, it is important to correct the underlying issue. Orthotics can be used to prevent you from walking on the outer edge of your heel. Your podiatrist can make an orthotic that matches your particular foot and can be made for the type of shoes you wear day-to-day. By correcting your foot type, it can help to prevent this problem from occurring in the future.