How to Ease Your Chronic Heel Pain
Jul 10, 2025
It’s not uncommon to feel some soreness in your heels after a long day on your feet. But chronic heel pain is different; it lingers for weeks or months without improving. It may feel sharp when you first stand in the morning, or worsen the longer you’re on your feet.
For many people, chronic heel pain makes even simple tasks feel exhausting, and the longer it’s left unchecked, the harder it may become to fix.
If you’ve been dealing with unrelenting heel pain, now’s the time to have it evaluated at South Texas Foot Surgeons, PA, in San Antonio and Kerrville, Texas. Our expert team can pinpoint the root cause of chronic heel pain and create a treatment plan to provide long-term relief. Here’s what you should know.
Every time you take a step, your heel bears your body weight and acts as a shock absorber. Whether you’re walking across the room, running errands, or simply standing still, your heel is at work. Over time, that constant strain can lead to pain, especially if other factors like wearing improper footwear, excess weight, or having a poor walking posture add extra stress.
The heel contains bones, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues that work together to support your foot. When these tissues are stressed or injured, inflammation develops and triggers pain.
Standing for long hours on hard surfaces, walking with poor posture, or wearing unsupportive shoes can place extra stress on your heel. Being overweight, having tight calf muscles, or having flat feet can also increase the strain. Over time, this stress can irritate the tissues in and around the heel.
There are several conditions that commonly cause chronic heel pain, including:
The most frequent cause of chronic heel pain, plantar fasciitis occurs when the thick band of tissue (plantar fascia) running along the bottom of your foot becomes irritated at the point where it attaches to your heel. This often causes sharp pain with your first steps in the morning or after long periods of sitting.
Calcium deposits can form on the heel bone where the plantar fascia attaches. While heel spurs may not always cause pain directly, they often accompany plantar fasciitis and worsen the discomfort of heel pain.
This condition causes an inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel. It tends to cause pain during physical activity, particularly when walking uphill or climbing stairs.
Small fluid-filled sacs called bursae cushion the heel. Inflammation of these sacs — a condition called bursitis — can lead to heel tenderness or swelling. Compressed nerves in the heel can also create burning, tingling, or radiating heel pain, rather than the sharp, stabbing discomfort caused by plantar fasciitis.
The good news is that most cases of chronic heel pain can be resolved without surgery. Conservative care often starts with:
If conservative treatments don’t deliver long-lasting relief, we may recommend treating your chronic heel pain with minimally invasive foot surgery or other advanced therapies at South Texas Foot Surgeons, PA.
Chronic heel pain doesn’t usually improve on its own, and left untreated, it can interfere with daily activity and lead to additional problems in your knees, hips, and back. Basically, the longer you wait to address heel pain, the more complex it can become to treat. Early diagnosis and targeted care make a full recovery far more achievable.
At South Texas Foot Surgeons, PA, you’ll receive an accurate diagnosis, expert care, and an individualized treatment plan. If heel pain is interfering with your daily life, schedule a visit at your nearest South Texas Foot Surgeons, PA, office in San Antonio or Kerrville, Texas, today.