Heel pain happens to be the most common foot problem and affects two million Americans every year. When you consider the amount of stress you put on your feet on a daily basis by just standing and walking, it's amazing there aren't more feet problems. Injuries to the ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the legs produce painful conditions that can also plague your feet.

Richard's case is not unusual. As a guy in his upper 50's who has worked in a physical job most of his life, he depended on his feet to keep him going. After years of pounding his feet finally said, enough! Most people take their feet for granted. Let's face it; unless you have pain in every step, you happily go about your daily activities without consideration for the harm you might be doing to your poor feet.

Why is your heel the most likely to be affected? As the largest bone in the foot and the part that absorbs the greatest amount of pressure, the heel often hits the ground at increased velocity especially during high impact aerobic activities. The pain can occur in the front, back, or bottom of your heal. Some of the most common symptoms are:

Morning Heel Pain - Although staying off your feet will relieve the pain temporarily it returns promptly when weight is placed on your feet for the first time in the morning pain.

Tenderness and Swelling - This can be the first sign that something is wrong. Many people don't realize that they have an injury until they feel tenderness and swelling in their heel.

Localized Pain - Indicating where the pain is felt helps to determine what the problem might be.

Numbness and Tingling - This could indicate a pinched nerve or a heel spur interfering with nerves functioning properly in the heel.