Heel pain, why I shouldn't ignore it...A sign of cancer and arthritis?
Dec 02, 2025
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In particular, heel pain is a commonly neglected or misdiagnosed symptom, but experts warn that it may be a sign of serious diseases such as arthritis, blood clots, and heart disease.
In an interview with local media outlet New York Post, Dr. Rock G Positano, a foot specialist at the U.S. Special Surgery Hospital, said "Heel pain is a typical case of a gastrointestinal disease.".
He explained that various rheumatoid diseases such as psoriasis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and blood clots can appear as heel pain. He explained "The heel is an area where blood flow is abundant, where cancer cells are prone to metastasis, and osteoporosis or stress fractures can also occur."
It is also an important diagnostic clue whether the side of the pain occurs or whether it appears simultaneously on both feet.
Dr. Positano said "Less painful heel pain may result from a movement to compensate for knee or hip pain, and bilateral pain may be a sign of lumbar intervertebral disc disease or spinal stenosis."
The problem is that these pains can make people inactive and rather cause systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and depression. Dr. Positano warned that `foot pain can lead to pain and dysfunction in other areas such as the knee, hip, and back.'
He added: "About 10% of the population experiences heel pain, but many doctors misdiagnose it as plantar fasciitis and treat it only with clinical tests without ultrasound diagnosis." and emphasized that diagnostic ultrasound should be used for accurate diagnosis."
Finally, he advised "Don't take heel pain lightly" and "There can be a variety of causes from musculoskeletal trauma to cancer, and it can seriously degrade quality of life, if not life-threatening."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
