#PodsHealHeels

As well as bringing the warmer weather March also brings awareness off heel pain with the campaign #PodsHealHeels educating and advising people who suffer with heel pain on what to do and who to see. Over the next few articles we will be delving into heel pain, its causes and how Podiatrist can help to manage and resolve this common foot condition.

What is heel pain?

Painful heels are a common complaint presented to our Podiatry team at South West Podiatry. The complexity of the condition and the difficulties in identifying the various causes of heel pain can result in prolonged suffering of an individual if a referral into Podiatry is not made early on in the condition.

What Causes heel pain?

There are many conditions that effect the heel, Plantar fasciitis, bursitis, stress fractures, S1 radiculopathy, nerve entrapments and cysts are all conditions around the bottom of your heel which could be causing your pain.

What should I do if I have heel pain?

If you have been suffering with heel pain for more than six weeks then an initial consultation with our experienced podiatry team would be highly recommended. In that consultation we will fully assess your feet and take a full history of your symptoms. Your podiatrist will discuss a specific treatment plan for your condition and organise a unique management plan to reduce your symptoms and improve your condition. We also have a video library of rehabilitation exercises in our patient resource which your podiatrist can discuss with you.

A Gait analysis / Biomechanical examination may be booked following an initial consultation to identify the cause of mechanical stress on the plantar fascia or foot structure, caused by walking or running. An infra-red pressure assessment may also be used to provide data to analyse increased forces through your feet. Orthotics are useful for certain symptoms of plantar heel pain which are prescribed to you to improve symptoms and offload areas of the feet caused by mechanical inefficiencies.