Heel pain is one of the problems some people witness. However, conditions like Achilles tendinitis (inflammation of your Achilles tendon), plantar fasciitis i.e. swelling of plantar fascia (a band of tissue on your feet’s sole), Haglund's syndrome (a bony bump on the heel), bursitis, and injuries like fractures or heel-bruises can lead to painful heels. Other reasons of heel pain could be due to overuse of drugs or any other medical conditions. But is heel pain a sign of cancer?
Heel pain may occur either at the rear side of your heel(s) or at the bottom part; such pains are a symptom of some form of soreness or tenderness. You may feel it when you touch your heels. You may feel more pain during the morning hours or after taking a long rest. Pain may also develop while you move and may get worse if not treated.
Is heel pain a sign of cancer?
Mostly heel pain is non-cancerous. Heel pain as a sign of cancer is a rare thing to occur. However, some forms of bone cancers can cause pain in your heels. Bone tumors can be of two types: primary (originating at a bone) or metastatic (spreading from other sites). Primary forms of cancers such as renal cell cancer, breast cancers, tumors in your prostate and colon as well as lung cancers can spread to your feet.
In a few rare cases, cancer-triggered heel pain is felt resembling primary-forms of bone cancers. Primary bone cancers are however rare; these cancers are only ~ 1% of all forms of tumors. However, the involvement of heel is quite a rare thing in such conditions.
Primary bone cancers like osteosarcoma are prevalent both in teens and children. This is persistent and it worsens at night or while you pursue an activity. Osteosarcoma not only leads to localised pains in your heels but also triggers pain in your bones.
You need to know metastatic cancers can cause pain in your heels. This is due to the spread (metastasis) of cancers to your heel bone i.e., from some other parts of your body. Cancer cells in other organs can spread to your heel bone; this bone is known as calcaneus.
Heel pain may be a symptom of the onset of an autoimmune disorder like diabetes. Such pains arise due to complications like plantar fasciitis, neuropathy, and / or foot-related infections. High blood sugar levels and risk of foot injuries can worsen these pains. Upon sensing a pain, you are advised to seek medical attention on a top priority mode.
Is there a link between heel pain and cancer symptoms?
Heel pain - in most cases – is benign. However, medical research reveals prolonged spells of pains / discomforts in your heel may signal an underlying cancer condition. Further studies reveal bone metastasis commonly affects 30% - 40% of lung cancer patients. It primarily targets the central bone structure of your body i.e. axial skeleton.
Heel pain may prevail despite taking needful treatment. Also, symptoms can worsen over time, even after taking needful rest. When traditional approaches to treat pains fail to yield results, tests to done to identify incidence of autoimmune conditions like cancers. You may experience an inexplicable loss of body weight, sudden changes in daily movements of bowel, being tired at almost all times coupled with changes in your bladder habits.
For accurate diagnosis, medical imaging is essential. However, while cancer-related heel pain remains uncommon, patients with specific vulnerabilities need to stay cautious of such signs. Your doctor may want to understand of past cancer diagnoses, especially if heel pain shows no signs of improvement even after standard treatment protocols.
Also, certain people are at higher risk; this includes middle-aged, overweight individuals, and people who overuse or strain their heels. Individuals who stay physically overactive, especially athletes and those who take part in physical activities applying more stress onto heels - are all also highly vulnerable.
Common causes of heel pain
A few of the common causes leading to heel pain include the following: If the structure of your feet is flat or has high arches, it can alter distribution of weight on heels. This adds stress onto your heel, thus causing pain. An abnormal walking style can make an imbalanced distribution of load onto heels. You may need to change your gait, checking with a physical therapist.
Heel spurs are another reason for pain. This occurs with the development of bony outgrowth off your heel bone. If you have tight calves, it offers limited flexibility to calf muscles. This too can add stress to your heel. Bursitis is swelling of bursae (fluid-filled sacs). Heel bruises may occur when heels are wounded, causing tenderness and pain. Stress fractures occur as you overuse your heels or perform high-impact activities causing your heel bone to fracture.
Medical conditions such as diabetes may affect your nerve function, resulting in numbness and pain in your heels (and also on feet). Rheumatoid arthritis is likely to cause heel pain as joints stand affected. Gout is another medical condition leading to buildup of uric acid crystals in your joints. This is also another form of arthritis.
Drugs treating heel pain
In most cases, you can avail Over-the-Counter (OTC) pain relievers, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), etc. You can buy most of these meds without a prescription. Topical analgesics like Diclofenac gel is efficient in treating such pains. You can directly apply it on to the skin of your heel.
If you suspect involvement of nerves, you can use muscle relaxants or neuropathic medications. Topical creams are another option. You can use anti-inflammatory creams and gels; you can gently rub them on your feet. However, they may only offer a short-term relief.
You can even try a few home remedies that include keeping ice on the affected area of your heel, a gentle massage, and stretching. You can even combine ice along with a gentle massage by freezing water in a bottle and rolling your foot over it. These easy-to-do home remedies will help relieve your heel pain.
Physician may recommend a thorough evaluation when you experience heel pain, particularly when it shows up with other systemic symptoms. Early detection significantly influences outcomes and delivers better results.