Plantar fasciitis is the major cause of heel pain and it occurs in the region of the foot where your heel bone (the calcaneum) is connected to the toes by a flat band of tissue known as the plantar fascia ligament.
When the plantar fascia ligament is strained, it gets irritated and swells.
You will then experience pain in the heel or the bottom of your foot when you walk or stand.
Painful heels can be experienced in one foot or both feet and is more common in middle-aged people, however, younger people who are on their feet a lot, for example soldiers and athletes are also likely to suffer from heel problems.
Typical Causes of Heel Pain Plantar fasciitis and heel bursitis can occur if you:

• Have tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons.
  
• Regularly wear worn out or ill-fitting shoes.
  
• Are overweight or regularly carry heavy items that push weight down to the feet and arch.
  
• Run, stand or walk for long periods, especially on hard surfaces.
  
• Have flat feet or high arches.
  
• Suffer from excessive foot pronation i.
  e.
  the feet roll inward too much when you walk.
  

What Are The Symptoms The most common symptom of Plantar fasciitis is an intense pain under the heel when you take your first step after sitting for a long period of time or when you first get out of bed in the morning.
The pain and stiffness may reduce after you take a few steps, however, you may experience pain regularly during the day.
The most pain may be experienced when you stand for a long time or when you move uphill or up stairs.
If you have a painful heel at night, you may have a different problem such as tarsal tunnel syndrome or arthritis.
How Is It Diagnosed? To diagnose your heel pain, your doctor or Podiatrist will check your feet and watch you walk or stand.
He or she may also ask questions such as how active you are and the type of physical activities you do, what symptoms you exhibit, what time of the day you experience the most pain and any previous injuries you have suffered.
Another way of diagnosing your sore heels will be to press your thumb directly into the center of the heel.
The level of discomfort will be an indication of whether you have plantar fasciitis or calcaneal bursitis.
If the doctor suspects that your problem is with the bones of our foot, he or she may take an X-ray of the foot.
How To Treat The Condition There are various treatments recommended for heel bursitis.
What may work for one patient may not necessarily work for another.
Some of the treatments you can try include:

• Do towel stretches, calf stretch and toe stretches a few times every day, especially when you get out of bed.
  
• To reduce the inflammation under the heel, put some ice on it.
  Over-the-counter pain relievers can also help to alleviate the pain but these may only help temporarily.
  
• Give your feet a rest.
  Reduce activities such as running or waking especially on hard surface with little shoe support.
  
• Wear good fitting shoes that have cushioned insoles and good arch support.
  

Remember: Spotting the symptoms early is the key to healing quicker!