What is the lump on the back of my heel?

Have you ever noticed a weird bump on the back of your heel and thought, “what in tarnation is that?” Well friend, you’re not alone. Many people have pondered this same question throughout history, and fortunately for you, I’ve got some answers.

The Anatomy of Your Heel

Before we dive into what could be causing that mysterious lump, let’s talk about what makes up your heel in general. You see, your heel bone (calcaneus) sits at the base of your foot and connects to other bones via various tendons and ligaments. It’s an extremely important part of walking or running (or skipping if that floats your boat), as it absorbs shock with each step.

Possible Causes For That Bump

Now to answer the main concern – why exactly do I have a lumpy dazzle sticking outta my booty-heel? Here are several common reasons:

Haglund’s Deformity

Nope this isn’t some sorta fancy pastry; rather Haglund’s deformity refers to a bony enlargement on the back of one’s heel which can cause irritation when wearing certain shoes like those super cool high heels (insert eye roll here) or stiff-backed boots. This typically affects athletes or folks who wear tight footwear regularly.

Bursitis

Bursas are small fluid-filled sacs located near joints in our body. When they become irritated due to overuse (cough repeated standing/walking/skipping cough cough) they can lead to inflammation known as bursitis. In terms of our particular case here today: retrocalcaneal bursitis specifically targets that area deep behind the Achilles tendon where our rear end fungus resides.

Insertional Achilles Tendinitis

A soreness/tenderness felt right above our little back lump can be an indication of insertional Achilles tendinitis. This type of injury occurs from straining the tendon that connects our calf muscles to the heel bone.

Pump Bump

Good news for all the stilettos-lovers out there – this one’s just for you! That painful red bump on your ankle may in fact be a “pump bump.” Typically caused by wearing those devilishly fashionable tight high-heels, pump bumps form when pressure from shoes create excessive rubbing against our heel bones.

Diagnosis

Look, it’s always best to make sure we’re not dealing with something more serious than just sore feet; so if that lumpy-pumpy thrombosis is causing pain or hindering you in some way shape or form…make an appointment with ya doctor! They’ll likely want to perform a physical exam, discuss symptoms and maybe even conduct x-rays if needed. But don’t fret little friend!

Treatment Options

Now let’s talk about how we can get rid of this pesky nuisance:

Rest & Ice Therapy

Resting your busy little piggies will definitely help calm things down after traumatic events like running marathons (or sprinting from scary clowns). Applying ice packs (covered with a cloth) for 15-20 min several times daily can reduce inflammation and aid in healing as well.

Heel Lifts/Support

If Haglund’s deformity is the cause – lifting up the heel itself within shoe gear through different methods such as specialized inserts non-altered lifts could work wonders. You might also consider purchasing shoes specifically designed that boast an open-back rather than closed one which decreases irritation around contact points (you fancy now boi), yikes this sounded too informative I should add funny pointers…

Like c’mon give us options here:
1. Wear Crocs because fashion must follow function people.
2. Start wearing shoes on the opposite feet in order to confuse your brain (it might just work).
3. …just cut off your foot – it’s 2021 #yolo?

Medication Use

In some cases, over-the-counter pain relief is enough to get through bursitis or other related heel-junk, ughh-nobody likes anti-inflammatories like aspirin or ibuprofen may be recommended for anyone experiencing chronic conditions

Surgery

As a last resort, orthopedists could consider surgical intervention if conservative measures have failed and symptoms still impacting quality of life.

Prevention Lip-Sync Battle

Ultimately though (dramatic pause) prevention trumps any cure right? Here are some ways to avoid these torturous lumps altogether:

Choose Proper Footwear

Make sure you choose footwear that fits properily for reasons mentioned earlier so we won’t touch on them again – try widening your search criteria too! Perhaps stick with round-shaped toe boxes and shorter heels gasp, otherwise podiatrists will look forward to treating people forever (#builtthatempire).

Stretch & Strengthen Feet

We take our little cat-dancers serious gosh darn it when we suggest performing certain stretches before physiological activities especially extended periods of standing/walking/running [we see you athletes]. Focuses on muscles at bottom ankle will help improve respective strength common causes leading way numerous overuse style injuries

What in tarnation did I just write? Okay clearer version:
Perform stretches regularly (memorizes dramatic movements) focusing on stretching out calf and arch areas…they need love too. And guys please use appropriate form lest ye find ye stretcho self-crying the next day.

Keep Up Your Cleanliness Game (Queen B Preaches This Too)

Who doesn’t wanna be like Queen Bey amirite? Physical hygiene can prevent infections from developing which would actually lead to chronic discomfort in the ankel-foot area. So give your feet some love once a day and scrub-a-dub-dub.

Wrap It Up

In conclusion, lumps on the back of your heel can be caused by several things but don’t fret little buddy: there are several remedies available ranging from lifestyle/footwear changes to medications (and beyond for some) coupled with preventative measures we may all fall into line understanding how important foot health is. And if nothing else a kudos should go out you readers just because you did this – so get off your butt [well-done] and do something worth celebrating like printing or copying my masterful work!

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