
Other factors can also make it more likely that your heel will endure more stress during a fall or athletic activity, like being overweight, wearing unsupportive shoes, overtraining, running on hard, uneven surfaces and being older, as this can lead to a natural decrease in the fat pad of the heel. Causes and Symptoms Of A Heel Bruise Or FractureĪs we touched on in the introduction, heel bruises and fractures are typically the result of a moment of acute stress on the heel area, like what you might experience during a fall. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how heel bruises and fractures are diagnosed and treated. If this happens, you’ll likely have some pain and discomfort in the area, and it can leave people wondering if they simply bruised the area or are dealing with a more severe injury like a fracture. However, our feet and heels can also be the first part of our body to strike the ground in the event of a fall off a ladder or when we trip down the stairs, and this can lead to much greater force being exerted on the heel area.

Our heels are oftentimes the first part of our body that strikes the ground when we walk or run, and even though this results in some stress, the fat pad on our heel can do a pretty good job protecting the area from injury. Care Center - Arlington Physical Therapy.Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT).Kathleen Torre, PT, DPT, CSCS, RRCA Certified Running Coach.
