CRACKED SKIN OF HEEL CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS THAN PAIN

Heel pain is a common complaint, but it isn’t always due to plantar fasciitis. Sometimes cracks in the skin develop at the back of the heel. These are termed heel fissures, and can result from many factors including the shape of your arch and how you walk. These cracks develop when the thick skin around the back and sides of the heel splits open.

This may result from excessive callusing of the area, from too much pressure to the region, or with repeated friction. Callused skin is less flexible and less pliable, meaning it will crack rather than adapt to these stresses over time and continued buildup. And these calluses typically thicken over time. As a person walks and places more pressure on their heels, the thickened skin cracks open.

Painful cracked heels occur for varying reasons in different people. Some people may have soreness while others may describe their pain as sharp, making it hard to bear weight on their feet. Determining why the skin is cracking will lead to a more effective way to treat the problem, with podiatric therapies having an excellent success rate.