5. Arthritis
More than 40-million Americans live with some form of arthritis. The most common types of arthritis causing heel pain are osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
With osteoarthritis, the affected individual begins to experience a rapid loss in bone density due to the bones leeching their calcium deposits. As a result, the skeletal system becomes fragile. This form of the degenerative bone disease typically affects seniors over the age of 60-years old.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a different animal. In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the skeletal system, stripping away at the joint cartilage while inflaming bone cells. It’s a terribly painful disorder that affects people of any age, even young teenagers.
Since rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, there’s no cure available. However, doctors manage symptoms through the use of corticosteroid drugs, painkillers, and prescription-strength anti-inflammatory medications.
Arthritis of the ankle and heel bone can trigger heel pain in seniors and may lead to the development of osteophytes, or bone spurs.