Heel Pain & Injury
Article by John Miller

What Causes Heel Pain?
Heel pain is a prevalent foot complaint and may involve bone, fat pad, ligaments, tendons or muscles.
Common Causes of Heel Pain
Plantar Fasciitis
The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis, a condition where your main arch ligament (fascia) becomes inflamed and causes pain.
More info: Plantar Fasciitis
Heel Spur
Plantar fasciitis can develop into a heel spur (calcaneal spur) when delayed fascia healing and bone is laid down due to excessive load through the injured soft tissue. Heel spurs are often related to flat feet or pes planus.
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Achilles Heel
The attachment of your Achilles tendon can cause Achilles heel issues onto your heel, and this can be due to tendonitis or a related Achilles tendinopathy. While not necessarily painful, a ruptured Achilles tendon causes functional limitations such as an inability to rise on your toes, walk or run.
More info:
Other Tendinopathies
Peroneal tendonitis is a common lateral heel condition due to altered foot biomechanics or hind-foot control issues. Medially (inside your heel), another tendinopathy known as tibialis posterior tendinopathy can cause heel pain.
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Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
Bursitis is another source of heel pain, and it can cause pain between your Achilles tendon and heel.
More info: Retrocalcaneal bursitis
Posterior Impingement Syndrome
Heel pain can also be associated with posterior impingement syndrome conditions, common in dancers or athletes who need to plant their foot, e.g. cricket fast bowlers. It can also occur in any athlete with a relatively unstable ankle, e.g. poorly rehabilitated sprained ankle.
More info: Posterior Impingement Syndrome
Heel Arthritis
Your heel pain can arise from osteoarthritis affecting the subtalar joint or talocrural (ankle) joint.
More info: Heel Arthritis
Stress Fracture
Bone injuries such as fractures can occur from a trauma such as a fall from a height onto your heel. Athletes, especially runners and landing sports, can also suffer overload fractures known as calcaneal stress fractures.
More info: Stress Fracture
Children’s Heel Pain
Sever’s Disease
Sever’s disease is a ubiquitous source of children’s heel pain. Sever’s is related to overactivity and overloading of the calcaneal growth plate.
More info: Sever’s disease.
Referred Sources
You must be thoroughly assessed to ensure an accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Heel pain can also be referred to from a pinched nerve in your lower back, e.g. sciatica. Neural-origin pain such as sciatica and sural nerve pathologies can be tricky to diagnose and requires the professional opinion of an experienced spinal health care practitioner such as your physiotherapist.
Who Suffers Heel Pain?
Anyone can suffer from heel pain, but certain groups seem to be at increased risk, including:
- Middle-aged men and women
- Active people, e.g. running sports
- People who are very overweight
- Children aged between 8 and 13 years
- Pregnant women
- People who stand for long periods.
Common Sources of Heel Pain
Some of the many causes of heel pain can include:
- Abnormal walking style (such as rolling the feet inwards)
- Obesity
- Ill-fitting shoes, e.g. narrow toe, worn-out shoes
- Standing, running or jumping on hard surfaces
- Recent changes in an exercise programme
- Heel trauma, e.g. stress fractures
- Bursitis (inflammation of a bursa)
- Health disorders, including diabetes and arthritis.
Common Heel Pain Causes
What's Causing Your Heel Pain?
This article digs into various heel pain and injury conditions that often trouble individuals. From the well-known discomfort of plantar fasciitis to the presence of heel spurs, we'll navigate through prevalent issues that impact our mobility. Alongside discussions about frequently asked questions and recommended products, our exploration extends to traumatic ankle ligament injuries, tendon problems, foot injuries, bone fractures, degenerative conditions, biomechanical issues, nerve-related sources, muscle injuries, and systemic conditions. This comprehensive guide aims to provide clarity and understanding for those dealing with ankle and foot discomfort.
Heel Pain
FAQs & Products
Traumatic Ankle Ligament Injuries
Tendon Injuries
- Achilles Tendon Rupture
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- FHL Tendinopathy
- Peroneal Tendinopathy
- Tibialis Posterior Tendinopathy
Foot Injuries
Bone Injuries
- Ankle Fracture (Broken Ankle)
- Stress Fracture
- Stress Fracture Feet
- Severs Disease
- Heel Spur
- Shin Splints