Heel pain

During your gait cycle the heel is the first part of the foot that ‘hits’ the ground during the three phases of gait. Four times the body weight goes through the heel during each step taken. The heel is designed to absorb the force on impact and provide a firm support for the next two phases of gait: Mid-stance and Toe-off.

There are many types of heel pain: Heel Spur; Heel Bursitis; Heel bumps; Bruised Heel; and several others (See treatment list below)

Treatment:

The above conditions can be difficult to cure and often take months to subside, however the available treatments are very similar:

  • Avoid activities that inflame the problem i.e. continuous standing or strenuous exercise
  • Apply ice to reduce inflammation (anti-inflammatory creams and tablets such as Ibuprofen can be used to reduce swelling)
  • Wear good fitting shoes with comfort
  • Orthotics (custom-made footbeds) prescriptive orthotics. These can provide the correct support and alignment needed to alleviate pressure on heel spurs.

    • Podiatrists may use corticosteroid injections to ease the pain in the heel; this can be painful.
    A rigid splint is sometimes recommended to be worn at 90 degrees during sleep. This prevents the muscles from tightening and reduces the strain on the plantar fascia. This treatment can last up to 5 weeks.

    If all the above fail, the final treatment is surgery. This will result in the release of the plantar fascia or the surgical removal of the heel spur or bursitis. In the event of surgery the foot structure will be weakened, so the need for quality orthotics. Precriptive Orthotics will be essential.

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