About two weeks ago, I started getting tremendous pain on my right foot. It is in the curve on the outside of my foot, as well as below and on the bottom of my heel -- so much so that it's very hard to walk without limping. I've gone to my doctor, who gave me an x-ray and didn't find anything. He gave me medicine for the pain and told me to come back if it worsened. I'm 17, and I'm not active, but I'm not obese -- I'm my average weight for my height. I can't think of anything I did to it to make it hurt this bad, except for the day that it started, I was sitting on a couch with my foot curled underneath my other thigh. It's really hard to go through the day like this, as I'm in high school and I have to change classes. Do you have any idea what could have caused this?

Thank you so much!
-Amy.

Pain under the heel is often caused by plantar fasciitis. Patient's describe the pain as more severe on the first step in the morning or when they stand after being seated for a long period of time (such as in class). You will want to stretch the heel in the morning by grabbing your toes and pulling gently towards your head. You may also want to consider an insert for your shoes. The best type of shoe to wear is an athletic shoe but make sure you are wearing the correct size. You can find additional information about this disorder on Foot.com.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Belyea, DPM, C.Ped.