Heel pain usually affects the bottom or back of the heel. Heel pain is rarely a symptom of something serious. But it can get in the way of activities, such as walking.

Causes

The most common causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis, which affects the bottom of the heel, and Achilles tendinitis, which affects the back of the heel. Causes of heel pain include:

Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendon rupture
Ankylosing spondylitis
Bone tumor
Bursitis (A condition in which small sacs that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near joints become inflamed.)
Haglund’s deformity
Heel spur
Osteomyelitis
Paget’s disease of bone
Peripheral neuropathy
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar warts
Psoriatic arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Retrocalcaneal bursitis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sarcoidosis
Stress fractures (Tiny cracks in a bone.)
Tarsal tunnel syndrome

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