HEEL PAIN
Plantar fasciitis / heel spurs
Is the most common reason for heel pain it effects 10% of the population at some point in their life. This condition can range from a little flare up to a chronic issue lasting for years.
your plantar fascia is a strong dense ligament type structure under your foot that helps your bones absorb the stress of standing, walking and running, the most common site of pain is at the point where the plantar fascia connects to the heel bone on the inside of your foot.
The universal characteristic of plantar fasciitis is to experience pain on the first few steps of walking after getting out of bed in the morning which settles as the foot warms up.
Causes of plantar fasciitis
A number of features contribute to plantar fasciitis but you are more likely to develop it if you:
- Are over weight
- Are aged between 40 - 60 years old
- Take up a new form of exercise or rapidly increase the intensity of your exercise.
- Stand for long periods
- Have other medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis
- Have flat feet or high arched feet
-Have tight calf muscles
Treatment of plantar fasciitis
Treating the cause is an important factor in the successful resolution to the condition. Often a combination of treatment options is needed to get a good clinical outcome. Selecting the most effective treatment combination comes with experience, that we have. Conservative treatments such as ensuring you have the right shoes, adequate strength and flexibility and certain taping techniques are great for providing short term pain relief. for most persistent cases shockwave, orthotics and night splints maybe required.
90% of patients improve significantly after 2 months of receiving treatment.
Check out City Podiatry on Facebook for some things you can do yourself to help you with your heel pain.
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave Therapy is a treatment whereby a hand held probe delivers very high energy acoustic waves which expand as they travel inside the foot. These sound waves stimulate tissue regeneration, increase blood flow to the affected area and break down scar tissue. The process accelerates healing.
Heel Pain in Children
Sever's Apotheosis is a type of heel pain that occurs in children aged between 9 – 15 year old children and is more common in boys. This pain is often worse with jumping and running, however if bad enough can be painful at all times of the day. The pain occurs when the Achilles tendon continually pulls on the apophysis of the calcaneum and does not allow for it to fuse with the body of the calcaneum.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
This is another type of heel pain caused by the compression of a nerve around the inside of your ankle. Pain and nerve symptoms can occur anywhere along the course of the effected nerve. Pain can radiate into the arch, only occur in the heel often described as a burning sensation or a tingling pins and needles sensation. High impact activity will make it worse. Morning pain is not normally a factor in heel pain resulting from tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Treatment depends on the stage this syndrome is at. Early treatment is important. Left untreated is condition can progress and may result in permanent nerve damage. Initial treatment includes rest, removal of aggravating factors, ice to relief pain and swelling, anti-inflammatory medication, footwear changes and gentle neural mobilisation, wedging and unloading techniques. With persistent cases orthotics are prescribed.
Achillies Tendonopathy
Posterior Tibial Tendonopathy