Treating Heel Pain with The Performance Podiatrist

At The Performance Podiatrist we take heel pain very seriously as it can be severely debilitating and stop you from doing all of the things you love!

The term heel pain is used as an umbrella due to the fact there are so many reasons as to why a heel can be so painful. Some of the more common ones being:

• Plantar Fasciitis / Fasciopathy / Fasciosis

• Abductor Hallucis Longus Tendinopathy

• Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy

• Fat Pad Atrophy

• Osteoarthritis

• Calcaneal Apophysitis / Sever’s Disease (Mostly in kids-teenagers.)

• Nerve Entrapment

• Calcaneal Bursitis

In this little article we are going to talk about how we assess, diagnose, manage and get you back to your best so you don’t have to deal with stubborn heel pain again.

Upon the initial appointment we allow for at least 60 minutes to do the following:

1. History Assessment:

Your clinician will undertake a thorough history assessment which is normally just a conversation; allowing you to talk and discuss about the heel pain giving us the bigger picture. The list is endless but can range from:

– When it started
– How it started
– What aggravates / settles the pain
– Type / Intensity of pain
– Increases in activity
– Change of job
– Location of pain
– Footwear change
– Previous injury
– Your goals

2. Footwear assessment:

We will undertake a footwear assessment and assess wear patterns, shoe age, and shoe structure; relative to your foot.

3. Passive Assessments:

These will be your clinician doing some joint range of motion testing (From hip to toe of both feet) and palpation. Again this gives us a broader picture and allows to assess whether there are any anomalies or differences between the two feet and legs.

4. Dynamic Assessment:

This is where you will be off the treatment chair and doing a bit of work for us. Dynamic assessments will include: A gait analysis both walking and running, strength testing (from the glutes to the toes), dynamic range of motion testing and any specific movements which cause you pain and affect your goals; such as jumping, hopping or standing.

5. Plan Development:

You and your clinician will devise a plan which will be achievable to manage the heel pain. We always aim have you leaving the clinic room with a thorough understanding of your heel pain and what is the main causative factor. Together you and your clinician will decide on specific exercises and activity modification to help increase strength, reduce the heel pain and achieve your goals. We may also see necessary for footwear changes, taping/padding or adjuncts such as orthotics, dry needling, shockwave therapy or foot mobilisation, depending upon the assessment results and your ideal treatment modalities. We prefer to look at it as us giving you a framework, and you building it in your own little way; as no two people will ever be the same.

We hope this gave you a little insight into what your initial heel pain session would look like with The Performance Podiatrist.

 

Book Now or Feel free to give us a call on (03) 8538 1001 if you are having any heel trouble you would like fixed.