Do you have heel pain?

In our clinics, we see heel pain every day, and today I'm going to be going through the three main causes.

In children, heel pain is almost always caused by Calcaneal Apophysitis, which is a global heel pain aggravated by sport and activity.

In adults, there are two main causes. The first is Achilles Tendinopathy. This is characterized by pain in the back of the heel and within the Achilles tendon and is most common within middle-age women.

The final and most common cause of heel pain is plantar-fasciitis. Most people will experience this at least once in their lifetime. It gives pain directly under the heel and is aggravated by standing and walking.

  • Calcaneal Apophysitis is the most common cause of heel pain in children. It causes heel pain that is usually worse during and after physical exercise, especially activities that involve running or jumping. It most commonly affects children aged between 8 and 14 , and is slightly more common in boys.

    You can read more on this condition here.

  • Achilles Tendinopathy is a condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness of the Achilles tendon that joins your heel bone to your calf muscles. This leads to pain at the back of the heel.

    It is thought to be caused by repeated tiny injuries to the Achilles tendon. These may occur for a number of reasons, including overuse of the tendon, which we often see in people who play sports or run regularly.

    You can read more on this condition here.

  • Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in adults. Visit our plantar-fasciitis page for useful information about the symptoms and treatment of this condition, including lots of treatments you can do yourself at home to relieve pain