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Help for 1 in 10 people with heel pain

	Heel pain can feel like a knife or a pin sticking in the bottom of your foot. The pain may be more acute when you first get up, or it can be severe enough to stop you doing the things you normally would. ConsumerReportsHealth.org can help you treat the symptoms of heel pain.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org today and find out whether insoles, medical devices, physical therapy or surgery rates best for treating heel pain.

Consumer Reports Health explains the best and most up-to-date expert research and evidence about treating heel pain. Our clear and sound advice helps you and your doctor choose your best treatment options.

Key points for people with heel pain

• Heel pain is a soreness or tenderness on the sole of your foot.
• Doctors call this type of heel pain plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that stretches from your heel to the ball of your foot.
• There's no evidence that heel pain is caused by inflammation, though some people believe it's caused by too much heavy pounding.
• The pain in your heel should go away by itself with time, but until then you might want to seek treatment for the pain.
• Treatments include insoles, exercises, and pain medications.

Your heel pain may just be an irritation that you notice when you first get up in the morning. Or the pain can be severe enough to stop you doing the things you normally would. Older people are more likely to get heel pain than children and young adults. This might be because as you get older your plantar fascia may not stretch as well.

Our concise condition report and Treatment Ratings table will help you and your doctor decide which treatment for heel pain is right for you. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, we'll also help you sort through the best research and the most effective treatments for over 100 conditions and illnesses that may affect you and your family.