Question
The child often says their feet hurt and refuses to let anyone touch their toes, crying upon contact. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be anything visibly wrong. The shoes are not too tight, and there’s no deficiency of trace elements. They have no issues with walking or running, but they don’t want to wear socks, and even when they do, there’s nothing unusual. It’s quite a hassle every morning to get them to wear socks, and it takes quite some coaxing. They also don’t allow their nails to be cut, and it can only be done when they’re asleep.
Answer
There are several possible causes for heel pain, mainly including: (1) Peritendinitis; (2) Bone spur of the calcaneus; (3) Calcaneal periostitis; (4) Calcaneal fat pad damage; (5) Fracture of the calcaneus; (6) Bursitis under the calcaneal skin; (7) Tarsal sinus soft tissue injury; (8) Calcaneal tuberculosis, tumor, etc. The following are some care methods for heel pain: 1. Rest; 2. Choose shoes with thick soles, firm soles, and slightly softer insoles, preferably with a certain curve at the heel to accommodate the arch of the foot; 3. Apply soft pads to the heel area, such as silicone heel pads to protect the heel and reduce friction; 5. Functional exercises. It is recommended to go to the hospital for examination and treatment.