Heel Pain

Do you suffer with heel pain?

Heel pain is one of the most frequently seen conditions in the foot and ankle. It is important to know not all heel pain is ‘plantar fasciitis’ as the pain can stem from various structures, so the best management starts with a correct diagnosis.

Common source of pain in the heel

What causes pain?

There are two common categories of heel pain that relate to the why we get injured or get symptoms.

1.Overuse –repetitive pulling, pressure or movement place stress on the tissues. The tissues can cope with some of this stress, but anything beyond this the tissues struggle to tolerate the load. This leads to pain and injury.

This could be due to:

• poor foot posture
• poor footwear
• weakness and lack of strength
• poor flexibility
• poor sporting technique

2.Acute tissue injury – a sudden movement that causes pain and overloads the tissue beyond its natural ability

Common reasons this occurs:

• landing heavily on the heel region
• running barefoot or in poorly cushioned shoes

At Sportsfit Physio and Health our team has years of experience in managing heel conditions.

What is the best treatment for heel pain

The best management starts with a proper assessment. Our therapists will take a comprehensive history to understand how the heel pain has occurred and complete several assessments to determine the structures affected. Sometimes you be will refer for an ultrasound, X-Ray or MRI if diagnosis needs to be made clear.

Treatment for heel pain is always individualized and will target not only reducing your pain but also help stop it from returning. Typical treatment may include:

• footwear modifications or referral
• orthoses – prefabricated or custom-made orthotics
• massage and joint mobilisation
• dry needling
• taping
• strengthening and stretching exercises
• daily postural or sports technique changes