Dr. Keyur A Buch, Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon & Specialist in Sports & Fitness Injuries, Fortis Hospitals Bangalore speaks to us about knee pain

1)Which age group and what percentage of population suffer from heel pain?

Heel pain is commonly found in the age group of late 20’s and upwards in India and late 30’s onwards in the Western World. Around 4 – 20 % of adult population generally report with heel pain at some stage in their life.

2)Is ” Heel Pain “more common in women than men?

Heel pain is often caused by two factors – Planter Fasciitis – which is inflammation & abnormal thickening of soft tissues of the heel due to repeated inflammation caused by excessive weight or strain on the heels.  The other factor is due to weak heel bone which causes pain. This is due to lack of adequate Vitamin D3 and osteoporosis and more commonly found in women than men. In Indian context women are found to be suffering from heel pain more than men due to lack of Vitamin D3 and higher incidence of osteoporosis. Lack of exposure to adequate morning sunlight results in deficiency of Vitamin D3

3)Is wearing high heels related to heel pain or is it just a myth? Please explain

Heels higher than 2cm causes strain on the rest of the foot and eventually leads to increased foot knee pain etc, but not heel pain necessarily. Heel pain is not related to wearing high heels. Also overweight people, diabetics, people with rheumatoid arthritis, regular joggers/runners, and regular treadmill users have a higher incidence of heel pain.

4)Women abroad are always on high heels. Why don’t they get pain?

Their dietary pattern and supplements ensure they have adequate intake of Vitamin D3 which means comparatively their bones are a bit stronger

5)Does carrying heavy weight also lead to heel pain? What are the other causes of heel pain?

Carrying in excessive body weight and being in occupation which involves continuous standing on hard surface may increase the risk of heel pain. Other causes are – overweight people, diabetics, people with rheumatoid arthritis, regular joggers/runners, and regular treadmilll users

6)Can heel pain lead to other complications—gyneac problems in long term, please explain

No