Heel Pain

Heel pain is one of the most common forms of foot pain in adults. It often occurs as a result of daily activities and exercise. The heel is the largest of the 26 bones in the human foot. It is designed to provide a firm support for the weight of your body. The heel absorbs the impact when your feet hit the ground when walking and running, and it springs forward, ready for the next step. While walking, the stresses placed on your feet can be one and a quarter times your body weight. So it’s not surprising that heel pain is common.

What can you do?

• Maintain your ideal body weight to avoid injury or trauma

• Warm up and stretch properly before and after exercise

• Wear appropriate shoe gear

• POLICE – Protect, optimum loading, ice, compression, and elevation

How podiatrist can help?

Treatment of heel pain depends entirely on the cause of the problem and severity of the condition. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you understand the cause of your symptoms before embarking on a treatment.

• Perform a physical examination to diagnose your problem

• Ultrasound Scan to diagnose the heel pain

• Professional taping

• Prescribe a prefabricated or custom, functional orthotic

• Administer injections if necessary

• Refer if needed

What causes heel pain?

There are many causes of heel pain, such as:

• Achilles Tendonitis

• Haglunds Deformities

• Heel Spurs

• Inflammatory conditions such as Bursitis and Arthritis

• Plantar Fasciitis/fasciopathy

• Severs Disease

• Stress fractures

• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome