Pain on bottom of heel

[trintiybella]

The pain on bottom of my daughters heel is pretty unbearable for her. She said it feels like there's a pointy bone sticking out that she's walking on and pain shoots up into her calf. I guess this is the bartonella. Do you think accupuncture would help this? I know orthotics would but getting her to wear them would be tough! Any suggestions and thank you!

[NancyD]

It might help ... everyone responds differently. Another suggestion, if that doesn't work and she can tolerate touch, is reflexology. I have had a lot of heel problems over the years, mostly due to Bartonella. Reflexology helps my leftover heel and jaw issues, not to mention reduces my stress levels tremendously. I go once weekly. Acupuncture is supposed to work faster but it didn't for me -- Reflexology has much greater impact. Sure wish I could get my DD to do it. I think it would be GREAT for anxiety ... but she doesn't like anyone to touch her.

[Surfmom]

It could also be a foot condition like planters fascitis. I would get her checked out.

[rowingmom]

DD12 has suffered from bartonella foot pain and it is not the same thing you are describing, although it does sound very much like the planters fasciitis that I suffered from myself a couple of years ago.

 

Bartonella pain covers the whole bottom of the foot and is very distinctive for DD. We did a lot of walking (6 hours the day before yesterday) in the hills of Quebec City and toward the end of the day DD was complaining of foot pain, although she said it was on the balls of her feet and wasn't the bart pain she had been used to - she has never complained of heel pain. I would imagine lyme and its associated tendon/cartilaginous tissue deterioration may be one cause for planter fasciitis.

 

DD12 had NO SHIN PAIN. If we had done this last summer or definitely the summer before I would have been carrying her or would have been pushing her in a wheel chair.

 

Planters fasciitis is usually mid-heel and a bit to the outside, where the Achilles tendon attaches to the bone. I found Achilles stretches (and calf raises which strengthen the tendon and need to be done daily after the pain has subsided) helped, but I still wasn't able to do distance walking with our dogs without an insert in my sneakers. Most good sports stores sell the inserts and I was fit for mine at one.

 

After 6 months or so of using the insert and doing the calf strengthening exercises a couple of times a week, the inserts were no longer needed. I sympathise with your daughter. The pain can be excruciating.

Edited August 24, 2014 by rowingmom

[911RN]

Agree with others re: plantar fascitis and/or heel spurs which are also very painful. Plantar fascitis usually hurts more the first few steps you take after sitting then improves somewhat. Over the counter shoe inserts can work great for this. Heels spurs hurt all the time when walking. An xray should tell you the answer on this.

[trintiybella]

Thank you every one for your help!