Heel Pain
What is Heel Pain?
Heel pain is one of the most common reasons people seek podiatry treatment and can affect people of all ages.
It often presents as pain underneath or behind the heel and may become worse after periods of rest, prolonged standing or increased activity.
Because many different structures surround the heel, symptoms can vary significantly from person to person. Accurate diagnosis is important to identify the underlying cause and guide effective treatment.
At Podiatry Medics, we focus on identifying the source of your symptoms and creating an individual treatment plan to improve comfort, movement and recovery.
What Causes Heel Pain?
Heel pain may develop from a range of conditions including:
- Plantar Fasciitis more correctly called plantar fasciopathy
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- Heel Spurs
- Stress Fractures
- Heel Bursitis/Retrocalcaneal bursitis
- Sever’s Disease/Calcaneal apophysitis (children’s heel pain)
- Heel Fat Pad Syndrome
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Arthritis related heel pain
Common Symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- Pain underneath or behind the heel
- Pain with the first few steps in the morning
- Pain after periods of rest
- Burning or aching sensations
- Tenderness or swelling
- Difficulty walking or weight bearing
- Stiffness through the heel and foot
Diagnosis
At Podiatry Medics, assessment may include:
- Thorough foot and lower limb examination
- Review of symptoms and activity levels
- Gait and biomechanical assessment
- Imaging referral where clinically appropriate including X-ray, ultrasound or MRI/CT
Understanding the true cause of heel pain helps determine the most appropriate treatment approach.
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the underlying cause and may include:
- Footwear advice
- Stretching and strengthening programs
- Orthotics or supportive insoles
- Strapping and offloading techniques
- Dry needling where appropriate
- K-Laser Therapy
- Shockwave Therapy where clinically appropriate
- Injection therapy in selected cases and in collaboration with your healthcare team
- Activity and load management
- Rehabilitation and prevention strategies
K-Laser Therapy uses targeted light energy and may be recommended in selected cases to support tissue recovery and assist with symptom management.
Shockwave Therapy may be recommended for certain persistent heel conditions to stimulate tissue healing and assist with reducing pain.
Injection therapy may occasionally form part of a broader treatment plan depending on diagnosis and clinical suitability.
Can Heel Pain Be Prevented?
Simple changes may help reduce your risk:
- Wear supportive footwear
- Increase exercise gradually
- Stretch regularly where advised
- Maintain a healthy activity level
- Avoid prolonged use of unsupportive footwear
Why Choose Podiatry Medics?
At Podiatry Medics, we take a personalised approach to heel pain treatment.
Our goal is not only to reduce pain but improve function, address the underlying cause and help you return to doing what you enjoy.
No referral required.