Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesHome TreatmentsRelief OptionsDiagnosisTime to HealComplications and When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Home Treatments
Relief Options
Diagnosis
Time to Heal
Complications and When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
A bruised heel is an injury to the fat pad that protects the heel bone (calcaneus). It can develop from repeated impact through the heel bone or from a single event, such as jumping from a significant height and landing on your heel. The longer you’ve had heel pain, the more time it can take to heal.
This article discusses a bruised heel, including causes, diagnosis, home remedies, and medical treatments.
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What Causes Heel Pain and How Is It Treated?
What Are the Symptoms of a Bruised Heel?
The primary symptom of a bruised heel is pain in the bottom of the heel bone.The pain is typically sharp and worsens when pressure is applied to the back of the foot.
Other symptoms of a bruised heel can include:
Symptoms of a bruised heel can be similar to those of other foot problems, such as a broken heel bone orplantar fasciitis.
Bruised Heel vs. Broken Heel
It can be challenging to distinguish between a bruised heel and a broken heel. Imaging is an essential part of diagnosing these injuries. A broken heel—also called acalcaneus fracture—is diagnosed (or ruled out) with X-rays and sometimes computed tomography (CT scan).
Bruised Heel vs. Plantar Fasciitis
Bruised heels are commonly misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis. However, these conditions can occur together.
The plantar fascia is a large ligament that starts at the heel and runs along the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis can causeheel painwhen stepping on the foot. Pain from plantar fasciitis can sometimes lessen with walking, but pain from a bruised heel will typically worsen the longer you walk on it.
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What Causes a Bruised Heel?
A bruised heel can also be chronic and develop gradually from repeated impact on the heel, such as walking in inflexible shoes or on hard surfaces.
Certain risk factors can increase your chances of getting a bruised heel, such as:
How Is a Bruised Heel Treated at Home?
Home remedies can help you manage the symptoms of a bruised heel.
Use RICE
The R.I.C.E. protocol helps treat heel pain:
Take a Pain Reliever
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) can help treat inflammation and pain associated with a bruised heel. Examples include Aleve (naproxen), Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen), and Bayer (aspirin).
Tylenol (acetaminophen)is another medication that can help reduce pain.
Check with your healthcare provider to ensure these medications are safe.
Protect Your Heel
You can place over-the-counter heel pads or cups in your shoes to provide additional padding for your painful heel.
Stretch the Foot and Heel
Stretches can help reduce pain and tightness in your foot and heel after an injury. These exercises should not be painful—you should feel a gentle stretch or pulling sensation along the bottom of your foot.
Other Tips to Find Relief
Try these tips to provide additional pain relief for a bruised heel:
If your pain does not improve with home remedies, a healthcare provider might recommend physical therapy,custom orthotics(shoe inserts), or prescription shoes.
How Is a Bruised Heel Diagnosed?
A healthcare provider, such as apodiatrist—a doctor specializing in treating foot conditions, begins the diagnosis process with a physical exam and symptom review.
Imaging is often needed to help rule out a broken bone or other soft tissue damage. Types of imaging your provider may recommend areX-rays,computed tomography(CT scan), ormagnetic resonance imaging(MRI).
How Long Does It Take a Bruised Heel to Heal?
Healing time after a bruised heal depends on many factors, including the severity of the injury and whether or not you continue to participate in the activity that initially caused your symptoms. The longer you’ve had symptoms, the more time it can take to improve.
Be patient—fully recovering from a bruised heel can take several months.
If a bruised heel is left untreated, it can worsen, leading to more pain and difficulty walking. If you continue to have symptoms of inflammation—pain, redness, warmth, difficulty with daily activities—after a week of home remedies, see a healthcare provider.
If you are unable to bear weight on your foot without sharp pain, seek medical attention to rule out a more serious injury, such as a broken bone.
Summary
A bruised heel occurs when the fat pad over the heel bone—and sometimes the heel bone itself—is injured. This can occur from trauma, such as jumping off a tall surface and landing on the heel, or over time from repetitive pressure through the heel (such as endurance running or walking in hard shoes). A healthcare provider diagnoses a bruised heel through a physical exam and sometimes imaging to rule out more serious conditions.
Treatment includes home remedies, medications, and modifications such as taping or orthotics. Stretches and shoes with increased cushioning can also help. If home remedies do not improve your symptoms, it’s important to see a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Podiatric Medical Association.Heel pain.Cedars Sinai.Plantar fasciitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Heel pain.Chang AH, Rasmussen SZ, Jensen AE, Sørensen T, Rathleff MS.What do we actually know about a common cause of plantar heel pain? a scoping review of heel fat pad syndrome.J Foot Ankle Res. 2022;15(1):60. doi:10.1186/s13047-022-00568-xAmerican College of Rheumatology.NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Podiatric Medical Association.Heel pain.Cedars Sinai.Plantar fasciitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Heel pain.Chang AH, Rasmussen SZ, Jensen AE, Sørensen T, Rathleff MS.What do we actually know about a common cause of plantar heel pain? a scoping review of heel fat pad syndrome.J Foot Ankle Res. 2022;15(1):60. doi:10.1186/s13047-022-00568-xAmerican College of Rheumatology.NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Podiatric Medical Association.Heel pain.Cedars Sinai.Plantar fasciitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Heel pain.Chang AH, Rasmussen SZ, Jensen AE, Sørensen T, Rathleff MS.What do we actually know about a common cause of plantar heel pain? a scoping review of heel fat pad syndrome.J Foot Ankle Res. 2022;15(1):60. doi:10.1186/s13047-022-00568-xAmerican College of Rheumatology.NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.
American Podiatric Medical Association.Heel pain.
Cedars Sinai.Plantar fasciitis.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Heel pain.
Chang AH, Rasmussen SZ, Jensen AE, Sørensen T, Rathleff MS.What do we actually know about a common cause of plantar heel pain? a scoping review of heel fat pad syndrome.J Foot Ankle Res. 2022;15(1):60. doi:10.1186/s13047-022-00568-x
American College of Rheumatology.NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs).
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.
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