Heel Pain Treatment in Strathmore
Brunswick Foot Clinic offers quality orthotics & podiatric care to residents of and visitors to Strathmore and beyond.
Heel Pain
Heel pain is painful. Heel pain is complex. Heel pain can be debilitating.
The condition that causes more people to cry in the knowledge that they will get better is heel pain.
Heel discomfort can arise from various locations around the heel due to multiple reasons. Mechanical factors, like issues with the tendo Achilles attaching to the heel, are common. Such conditions might result in a bone spur, which appears severe on an x-ray but might not be problematic.
Having a bone spur can heighten the likelihood of irritation caused by the stiff heel support of a shoe. This irritation can sometimes result in a blister at the heel’s back. Less intense rubbing from the shoe’s heel counter may cause a soft bump under the skin (bursa), potentially leading to inflammation (bursitis) if it persists. In certain cases, such bursitis is a result of an inflammatory condition like psoriatic arthritis.
Heel discomfort can stem from inflammation within the heel bone (osteitis), while a more intense pain might suggest a stress fracture in the calcaneum. Everyday activities like gardening or playing with children can trigger this pain. Failing to adequately prepare your body for increased or faster walking or running could cause leg and foot pain, heels included.
If you experience heel pain on the underside of your foot, it may be because there’s not enough natural fatty cushioning under the weight-bearing parts of your feet. This condition can cause bruising in the plantar medial calcaneal tubercle, especially when you’re in hard-soled footwear.
Heel Spur and Plantar Fasciitis
Further towards the front of the heel, pain can be caused by another type of heel spur, which develops from repeated stress on the plantar fascia leading to bone growth (Heel Spur Syndrome). This repetitive stress is a common cause of Plantar Fasciitis, the injury to the taut band running beneath the foot.
Whilst the bone spur looks painful but the pain itself may not be where the spur is located. The development of the spur but generally is due to the mechanical load from the strain along the plantar fascia rather than the heel spur digging into the foot.
It’s often the case that an x-ray uncovers a substantial heel spur on a foot that doesn’t hurt, whereas the aching foot might not have any spur.
Causes of Heel Pain
Occasionally, heel pain is caused by irritation of a small nerve beneath the heel due to muscle crossing over it. Identifying these and related conditions correctly is crucial for devising the most appropriate management strategy for relief.
Treatment can sometimes include basic methods like cushioning, physical exercises, and massage. Utilising heat and ice thoughtfully, along with dry needling, can be beneficial. Occasionally, the use of anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroid injections, or an ankle walker (moon boot) might be necessary for prompt relief.
Orthotic Therapy
Orthotic therapy aims to redistribute weight-bearing pressures away from the site of pain and to direct the foot’s movement to lessen the tension on the plantar fascia and the associated spur. In a few instances, surgery to release the fascia may be necessary. Furthermore, extra corporeal shockwave therapy has been proven to alleviate the discomfort associated with heel spurs and plantar fasciitis.
Severs Disease
Heel pain in children, often a result of activity-related damage at the back of the heel (Severs Disease), can occur when the heel’s growth plate is affected by continuous pulling from a strong calf muscle and tendo Achilles. Making a precise diagnosis is key to selecting the most effective treatment for quick relief and recovery.
Our podiatrists are highly skilled in diagnosis and the management of heel pain.
If you would like more information, please call our Brunswick Foot Clinic on (03) 9387 8555 or Sandringham Foot Clinic (03) 9555 6555 or click below to book online.
FOOT CLINIC LOCATIONS
Our service areas
Brunswick Foot Clinic and Sandringham Foot Clinic provide quality podiatry care to residents across a range of Melbourne suburbs including:
9 Glenlyon Road (cnr of David St)
Brunswick Vic 3056
Ph: (03) 9387 8555
Fax: (03) 9388 2288
Email: info@melbournepodiatrist.com.au