Expert podiatry care in Prahran
Heel Pain Treatment in Prahran, Melbourne
Heel pain can make the first steps in the morning, walking, work or exercise difficult. It is a symptom rather than a diagnosis, and effective care starts with identifying the cause.
At Prahran Foot Clinic, our registered podiatrists assess pain under, behind or around the heel. We listen carefully, examine your foot and ankle, assess movement and footwear, and explain treatment options tailored to your needs.
Practical advice and initial management begin at your first appointment. If diagnostic imaging is required, we will explain why and arrange the appropriate test.
Start with the location
Where does your heel hurt?
The location, timing and behaviour of your symptoms provide valuable clues. Select the closest description below to learn about common possibilities.
Pain with first steps
Often associated with plantar heel pain, fat-pad irritation or, less commonly, a stress injury.
Behind the heelPain near the Achilles
May involve the Achilles tendon, a nearby bursa, footwear pressure or a bony prominence.
Children and adolescentsActivity-related heel pain
Sever’s disease is a common cause during growth, particularly with running and jumping sports.
Your first consultation
What to expect at your heel pain appointment
Our aim is to give you a clear explanation, practical next steps and a management plan that fits your symptoms, activities and goals.
Listen and understand
Your podiatrist will discuss when the pain began, where it is felt, what aggravates it, your activity level and any previous treatment.
Examine and assess
We assess the painful area, foot and ankle movement, strength, walking pattern, footwear and other findings relevant to your presentation.
Explain and begin care
Your podiatrist will explain the likely diagnosis and can usually begin appropriate advice and treatment at the first consultation.
Will I need an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI?
Not always. Many common causes of heel pain can be assessed clinically. Diagnostic imaging such as X-ray, ultrasound or MRI will be arranged when it is needed to clarify the diagnosis, investigate an atypical presentation, assess a possible injury or guide further care.
Accurate diagnosis matters
Common causes of heel pain
Heel pain is not one single condition. The pattern of symptoms and clinical findings helps your podiatrist distinguish between several possible causes.
Plantar heel pain, plantar fasciitis and “heel spurs”
Plantar heel pain is commonly called plantar fasciitis, plantar fasciopathy or, informally, “heel spurs”. Many people use “heel spur” to describe pain under the heel, even when no imaging has been performed.
A heel spur is a bony growth that can be visible on an X-ray, but it is often incidental and is not necessarily the source of pain. Symptoms more commonly relate to irritation and reduced load tolerance in the plantar fascia and nearby tissues.
Typical features include pain beneath the heel with the first steps after rest, discomfort that eases after moving and symptoms that return after prolonged standing, walking or exercise.
Achilles tendinopathy and retrocalcaneal bursitis
Achilles tendinopathy can cause pain, stiffness or reduced tolerance to activity at the back of the heel. Symptoms may occur where the tendon attaches to the heel bone or slightly higher in the tendon.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis involves irritation of the small fluid-filled bursa between the Achilles tendon and heel bone. It may be associated with a change in activity, pressure from footwear, an insertional Achilles problem or a prominent heel shape.
Management is directed by the findings and may include modifying aggravating load, footwear changes, heel lifts, taping, progressive exercise, orthoses where indicated and other treatment options. Imaging, injection therapy or referral can be considered when clinically appropriate.
Sever’s disease in growing children
Sever’s disease, also called calcaneal apophysitis, is a common cause of heel pain in active children and adolescents during periods of growth. Running and jumping can increase symptoms, which may affect one or both heels.
Our podiatrists assess the child’s symptoms, activity, footwear and clinical findings. Diagnostic imaging will be arranged where appropriate, particularly when the presentation is atypical, there has been an injury or another cause needs to be excluded.
Treatment focuses on settling symptoms while helping the child remain appropriately active. It may include temporary activity modification, footwear advice, heel lifts or cups, stretching, strengthening and a gradual return to sport.
Heel fat-pad pain
A bruised or irritated fat pad can produce a deep, central ache beneath the heel, often worse on hard surfaces or after impact.
Nerve irritation
Nerve-related heel pain can cause burning, tingling, altered sensation or pain that does not follow the usual pattern of plantar heel pain.
Calcaneal stress injury
A stress reaction or stress fracture of the heel bone should be considered when pain follows a rapid increase in activity or becomes persistent with weight-bearing.
A plan built around you
Individualised heel pain treatment
There is no single treatment that suits every person with heel pain. Your plan will reflect the diagnosis, how long symptoms have been present, contributing factors, your daily demands and your goals.
Education and load management
Clear advice about aggravating activities, recovery, work and exercise, along with footwear recommendations and a practical progression back to normal activity.
Foot and ankle taping
Taping can provide short-term support, reduce strain on painful tissues and help guide longer-term treatment decisions.
Stretching and strengthening
Targeted exercises may improve tissue capacity, ankle movement and tolerance to walking, running or sport.
Orthotics and insoles
Prefabricated insoles or custom foot orthotics may be recommended when assessment shows they are likely to improve comfort or reduce aggravating load.
Shockwave therapy
Radial shockwave therapy can be considered as part of a broader plan for selected persistent plantar heel pain or Achilles tendon conditions.
Injection therapy
Injection options, including prolotherapy or perineural injection therapy, may be discussed for appropriate presentations after a thorough assessment.
Confident care, without a one-size-fits-all protocol
Your podiatrist will explain which options are most relevant, what progress to expect and when the plan should be reviewed. Where the findings suggest another test, practitioner or medical opinion would be helpful, we will guide you through that next step.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions about heel pain
Is heel pain always plantar fasciitis?
No. Plantar heel pain is common, but pain can also arise from the Achilles tendon, a bursa, the heel fat pad, a nerve, a stress injury or other structures. The location and behaviour of your symptoms help guide the diagnosis.
Do heel spurs cause heel pain?
Not necessarily. “Heel spur” is often used as a general name for plantar heel pain, but a spur seen on X-ray is frequently incidental. Your podiatrist will assess the symptoms and clinical findings rather than assuming the spur is the cause.
Will I need an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI?
Not everyone needs imaging. Your podiatrist will arrange X-ray, diagnostic ultrasound or MRI when it is likely to clarify the diagnosis, investigate an atypical presentation, assess a possible injury or guide further care.
Can treatment begin at my first appointment?
Usually, yes. Your podiatrist can generally provide a working diagnosis, practical advice and an initial management plan at the first consultation. When the presentation is less straightforward, we will clearly explain the next step.
What treatment may be recommended?
Treatment is individualised and may include education, activity and load management, taping, stretching, strengthening, footwear changes, padding or heel lifts, orthotics, shockwave therapy, injection therapy, imaging or referral where appropriate.
Can I keep walking or exercising with heel pain?
Often, activity can be modified rather than stopped completely. The right level depends on the diagnosis, symptom severity and how the heel responds. Your podiatrist will help you find a safe and realistic balance.
When should heel pain be assessed urgently?
Seek prompt medical assessment after a significant injury, if you cannot bear weight, or if heel pain is accompanied by marked swelling, redness, warmth, fever, new numbness or weakness.
Clinical references
- Heel Pain – Plantar Fasciitis: Revision 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline
- Best practice guide for plantar heel pain
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: plantar fasciitis and bone spurs
- Royal Children’s Hospital: Sever’s disease
Clinically reviewed by Prahran Foot Clinic’s registered podiatrists. Updated August 2026.
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Experienced Podiatrists
Our experienced podiatrists provide personalised, evidence-based care for foot and ankle conditions.
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Mon–Fri: 10 am–7 pm
Sat: 9 am–1 pm