Heel Pain
Are you struggling with heel pain?
- Are you hobbling out of bed each morning as if you’re stepping onto a bed of nails? do you have pain after rest (standing up after sitting for a while)?
- Do you get pain in your heels that gets worse through the day making it hard to walk or stand still for long periods of time?
- Have you had to limit or stop your normal activities due to the pain?
- Have you had to take precious sick leave hours from work due to your heel pain?
- Are you suffering from tingling, burning or throbbing around your heel, even when you’re resting?
- Is your child complaining of sore feet or heels when playing sport or after doing a lot of running?
If your answer was “yes” to any or all of the above questions, then you should book a Biomechanical appointment and Gait Analysis at one of our clinics! Click the button below to book online today.
Specifically, what does Plantar Fasciitis (Fasciosis) or a heel spur feel like?
- Pain under the arches, often localized to the front the of the heel.
- Pain that is usually worst for the first few steps in the morning and/or after periods of rest which gradually improves through the day, and can often worsen again by the end of the day.
- Pain in the heel that is often aggravated by long periods of standing, walking or running, especially on hard/concreted surfaces
- Burning, numbness or throbbing around the heel when resting at night
Potential causes of Plantar Fascial related heel pain include but are not limited to:
- Over pronation (collapsing of the arches)
- Tight or restricted calf muscles or Achilles’ tendons
- High arches
- Going barefoot on hard surfaces or wearing flexible or worn-out shoes.
- Jobs that require working on hard/concreted surfaces (i.e., factories, retail etc.)
- Over training or sudden increases in training
- Excessive or rapid weight gain.
There are 4 common causes of heel pain:
- Plantar Fasciitis – most common cause of heel pain and also the most common cause of foot pain in adults and children. It is a very complex condition that needs to be correctly diagnosed and treated specific to each person.
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Heel Spurs
- Severs Disease aka. Calcaneal Apophysitis (Children’s heel pain) – is inflammation of the calcaneal growth plate, most commonly occurring in active children between 7 to 14 years of age.
Less common causes of heel pain might include but is not limited to:
- Plantar fascial tear
- Plantar fascial fibromatosis, also known as Ledderhose’s disease
- Plantar calcaneal nerve entrapment syndrome
- Insertional Achilles tendinopathy/ enthesopathy/ Haglund’s deformity
- Calcaneal fracture
- Baxter’s nerve entrapment syndrome
Heel pain in Children:
Heel pain in children is often caused by a condition called Calcaneal Apophysitis aka. Severs Disease, however it can also be the cause of other various conditions, some of them serious.
If you or your child is experiencing any of these forms or heel pain, it is important to come and have your feet examined by one of our team. With our skills and expertise, we are able to assess and diagnose which of these factors are likely the cause of your pain, and will customize a treatment plan to fix it for good and prevent long term injury or disability!
How can you fix Heel pain?
- Foot strapping with sports tape to decrease the strain on the Plantar Fascia.
- Further calf, Achilles’ tendon and arch stretches.
- Foot strengthening exercises
- Ice massage, arch massage, dry needling and other forms of physical therapies.
- Trying alternative exercise activities to lessen the load and intensity impacting on the feet (i.e., swimming and cycling)
- Wearing footwear of correct sizing, support and midsole cushioning, and small heel heights.
- Customized foot supports (orthotics) to reduce over-pronation and correct foot posture.
- Moonboot to further immobilize the foot and reduce strain on the foot.
- In very few cases, surgical intervention is necessary, but rare.
Even though heel pain is a very common condition it can be very complex in nature. It is very important to get a correct diagnosis and a treatment plan which will suit your individual situation. If you have tried various treatments, without much success, then it is time to give us a call and book in for a consult with one of our Podiatrists!
Don’t let it get out of hand, click on the button below to get it resolved today…
