How to Recognize Haglund's Deformity | Foot Care

Learn how to recognize Haglund's Deformity with this Howcast video about foot care.


Hi, I'm Dr. Fritz, and I'm going to talk to you a little bit about what is a Haglund's deformity. A Haglund's deformity is a bony growth in the back of your heel. It's also known as a pump bump. Because of the bump and irritation on the heel counter of the shoe, the soft tissue in the back of the heel becomes inflamed. The two soft tissue structures that become inflamed most are the Achilles tendon and a bursa sac that cushions the tendon from the bone. These can become inflamed and quite painful.

Who develops a Haglund's deformity? Haglund's deformity is a congenital deformity. It can occur in people with high arches. It can occur with people whose feet roll outwards. It is common with people with tight Achilles tendons.

So what do you do? How do you treat a Haglund's deformity? Haglund's deformities usually respond very well to anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, and aggressive stretching exercise. I usually recommend a Tuli's heel cup to cushion the area or a backless shoe until the inflammation reduces. Heel splints are effective in treating Haglund's deformity in that it stretches the Achilles tendon.

Rarely surgery is required to correct the deformity. Surgery involves removing the bump, which often involves reattachment of the Achilles tendon.

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