Heel Pain Treatment Melbourne

Heel pain is one of the most common problems bringing patients into our Clinics. People of all ages and lifestyles can experience heel pain at one time or another and this can be on the back or underneath the heel. There are a number of causes and depending on the diagnosis, there are a range of treatment options available. These often result in people becoming pain free without a reocurrence of the condition.

The four primary causes of heel pain are:

• Plantar Fasciitis
• Heel Spur
• Achilles Tendon Pathologies
• Severs’ Disease

Our aim is always to help patients return to their usual activity as safely and quickly as possible whilst managing the pain and helping to educate people about their own foot care along the way.

What Causes Heel Pain?

There are four common causes of heel pain

Plantar Fasciitis

This is the most common cause of heel (and arch) pain. The plantar fascia is a thick ligament that runs under the arch of the foot. If this ligament is placed under too much strain or load then it can cause heel pain.
The causes of the strain or load can vary from person to person and usually fall under one of these three categories:

• Biomechanics – the structure and function of the foot
• Footwear – shoes that don’t support the foot
• Sport – an injury caused by a specific activity

You can read more about Plantar Fasciitis and how we treat it at our Clinics here.

Heel Spur

A heel spur is a calcium deposit that develops at the bottom of the heel bone due to the pull of the plantar fascia which is attached here.

Achilles Tendon Pathologies

Any injury to the Achilles Tendon (such as Haglund’s deformity) will usually cause pain at the back of the foot.

Severs’ Disease

Calcaneal apophysitis is common in children between the ages of 8-14; especially those who play a lot of sports or experience a growth spurt. The pain is caused by the Achilles tendon irritating the growth plate in the heel.

You can learn more about how we work with children in our Clinics here.

How to Treat Heel Pain

As you’ve probably guessed, the treatment plan for each patient will depend on the specific cause of the heel pain and how severe the issue is.

We offer treatments to address each individual’s pathology and our methodology follows a three-part process:

Acute pain reduction

• Stretching
• Rest
• Anti-inflammatory medicines
• Taping

Remedial action

• Hands-on treatment such as Shockwave Therapy and foot manipulation and mobilisation
• Exercise programs
• Footwear recommendations

Long term maintenance

• Orthotics
• Supportive footwear
• Strengthening exercises