Gout in the heel: what to know

Gout develops when urate crystals collect in and around a joint, triggering inflammation. The heel may hurt at the ankle, the back of the heel, or where the Achilles tendon attaches. A flare can make walking and pressure from footwear difficult. Heel pain has other possible causes, so a painful heel alone does not establish gout. A clinician may examine the area, review your health and medicines, and use blood tests or joint-fluid testing when the diagnosis is uncertain. Kidney disease and excess body weight can be relevant factors to discuss, but neither one confirms the cause.

Rest the sore foot, keep it raised when practical, and use a wrapped cool pack for short periods. Choose roomy footwear and avoid rubbing the tender area. Arrange medical advice, especially if this is your first episode or the pain is limiting walking. Treatment may include medicine for the flare and a longer-term plan to reduce urate, chosen with attention to kidney function, stomach health, and other medicines. Do not start, stop, or share gout medicine without professional guidance.

Seek urgent medical assessment for a hot, swollen heel with fever, chills, rapidly worsening redness, a wound, or feeling very unwell, because infection can resemble a gout flare. Get prompt help if you cannot bear weight, the area follows an injury, or severe pain is not settling. A clinician should also review repeated attacks, persistent swelling, or new firm lumps near the heel.

Ask whether the heel location fits gout or another problem, whether testing is needed, which pain treatments suit your kidneys and other medicines, and how to reduce future flares.