Heel Pain

Heel pain is something which has come up more and more often over the past few months in Pain Relief Limerick. In the last week before we shut down due to COVID-19, we have treated more heel pain patients than we did in the final 3 months of last year. It’s almost like it has become a fashion trend!

Heel pain can be so debilitating. Trying to walk first thing in the morning after getting out of bed can be so painful and difficult and can put you in a bad mood for the day. Standing up for long periods can be so annoying. In a sense, it takes away your independence because your pain is dictating what you can or can’t do for the day.

The first thing you need to do before you get relief is to understand what is causing your heel pain, because it can be so many things. But if you focus on one thing because you read about it on the internet or you heard a friend had the same thing, you will take much longer to recover.

Of all the cases I have seen in that last week (2 weeks ago now), all except one came to me with a diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis (again, a real fashion trend). These diagnoses either came from their doctor, their friend or Google. None of which are experts on heel pain.

If you are reading this during the Coronavirus lockdown, you are hopefully getting more exercise in and keeping active, so your heel pain may act up a little. Because most Physio clinics are closed, you are unlikely to get the best help and may resort to asking google. Try your best to avoid this when it comes to any pains or illnesses. Ask the experts. We are still taking phone calls to offer as much help as we can in this tough time.

It is so important to look at heel pain (or any pain) with an open mind. Just because someone tells you that you have Plantar Fasciitis doesn’t mean it can’t be something else. There are so many things that can lead to heel pain, and most are treatable.

One case 2 weeks ago which stands out. A lady went to her doctor because someone told her she had Plantar Fasciitis. The doctor assessed her and told her she in fact had Achilles Tendonitis. Neither were correct! I have often said in the past, Doctors possess more knowledge than nearly every other profession, but that doesn’t mean they know everything. Injuries are just not their area of expertise. Unfortunately, this leads to many conditions being misdiagnosed. This leads to the wrong treatment and often the worsening of the situation.

How do I know this was the wrong diagnosis? I assessed this lady and noticed a significant mark on her heel. I asked if she stood on something. She remembered standing on a nail sticking up out of the floor in her bedroom. The area around the mark was all red and really tender to touch, no other pain or symptoms anywhere else. Her diagnosis… Heel Pain!

So, if you have heel pain or any other pain for that matter, don’t assume it is something because you hear about it often or see it on Facebook or because your doctor said that’s what you might have. A pain in the heel can very often just be a pain in the heel. It doesn’t have to have a fancy name or be a fashion trend like Plantar Fasciitis.

If you start to suffer from pain in your heel, get in touch. Let us know how it is affecting you. We can give you an accurate diagnosis and figure out how we can help to get relief. If you are suffering from heel pain now and need help or advice on how to help it, give us a call on 061 276 410. If we are still under lockdown because of COVID-19, we are still offering phone consultations.

If you are reading this and the lockdown has finished, great. Give us a call and we can book you in for a free Discovery Visit, where you can come in to the clinic and meet with a Physical Therapist and discover how we can help you long term.