Heel Pain
Heel pain is a common and often debilitating condition. Heel pain may be mild at first, keeping you away from sport and activity, but without treatment this can worsen, often leading to time off work as a result of constant pain leading to a loss of income.
In order to accurately diagnose your problem your podiatrist will conduct a thorough physical examination, watch you walking and may require you to get x-rays or other types of scans. Prahran Foot Clinic sees new cases of heel pain on a daily basis and can provide effective treatment during your first consultation.
Below is information regarding some of the more common causes of heel pain
Why choose Prahran Foot Clinic?
Established in 2007, Prahran Foot Clinic has been providing high quality care for all foot and ankle conditions, using the latest, evidence-based treatments in a dedicated, stand-alone podiatry clinic.
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Our highly skilled team of professional podiatrists are at your service to give you the best footcare.
Plantar Fasciitis
These x-rays show heel spurs on the bottom of the calcaneus (heel bone) as well as on the back where the achilles tendon attaches
Plantar fasciitis (often referred to as heel spurs) is a very common cause of pain under either one or both heels. It affects a wide age group, having been seen in children, the elderly, and averyone in between. Symptoms commonly present as a feeling of bruising or sometimes sharp pain under the heel or along the arch of the foot. Commonly patients report pain with the first few steps in the morning in mild cases, or even pain with each step as the condition progresses. Plantar fasciitis can be completely debilitating and requires expert treatment to resolve completely.
Whether you’ve had a recent onset of similar symptoms, or have been suffering for months or even years, imaging to confirm the diagnosis is often utilised, as other symptoms can mimic plantar fasciitis – routinely your podiatrist will order an x-ray and diagnostic ultrasound. Once a definitive diagnosis is achieved, a tailored treatment plan for your condition is formulated.
Treatment is aimed at addressing your immediate pain, as well as rectifying the underlying cause and repairing your injured tissue. Radial shockwave therapy, in conjunction with custom foot orthotics, targeted exercises and pain relieving activities are fundamental to resolving plantar fasciitis1.
Radial Shockwave Therapy has proven to be an excellent treatment for plantar fasciitis
Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
A not infrequently seen condition often mistaken for Achilles pathology, retrocalcaneal bursitis is usually (and thankfully) quicker to resolve than its tendinous neighbour. Once again owing to excessive overpronation/poor foot posture, a naturally occurring lubricating structure between the heel bone and the Achilles tendon (known as the retrocalcaneal bursa) becomes inflamed, causing pain just behind the Achilles and deeper towards the back of the ankle joint.
This diagnosis is usually made clinically (i.e. in the office on the day of your appointment), but can be confirmed using diagnostic ultrasound. Treatment by way of therapeutic ultrasound, taping and custom orthotics are very effective in eliminating pain from retrocalcaneal bursitis. Click on the image below to see detailed anatomy of the rearfoot.
Sever’s Disease
Most commonly seen in active boys aged 8-13, Sever’s Disease is a self-limiting condition (meaning it will always resolve in time) affecting one or both heels. During this period of growth, pain can be experienced if excessive forces travel through the growth plate of the heel. Unsurprisingly, children that participate in jumping sports (eg. basketball, netball, football) are among the most common patients seen with this condition.
While the condition will resolve when the growth plate fuses with the heel bone (see image below), active treatment is still essential to ensure normal pain free participation in sports and activity. Stretches, iceing, taping, heel raises and foot orthotics are all conservative treatments that yield excellent results.
An x-ray of a child’s foot shows the unfused growth plate on the back of the heel bone (calcaneus)
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