Pain underneath the heel most commonly originates from a structure called the plantar fascia.
What is the plantar fascia?
The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue underneath our feet. It originates from the heel and inserts around the 1st - 5th toe joints. The plantar fascia supports our arches and assists us to push off via our big toe joints. You had probably never heard of the plantar fascia until you started experiencing heel pain. Despite this, it has been tolerating a lot of stress and helping you to move your whole life.
Is it possible to experience heel pain without having developed a full-blown injury?
Absolutely. The plantar fascia is a robust structure, but like most many structures in our bodies, if you apply too much stress to it too quickly, it will become irritated and painful.
Common causes of plantar fascia overload include:
Increasing activity level too quickly.
Trying to do as much exercise as you used to after a long break.
Spending a lot more time on your feet.
Doing any of the above in a worn-out or inappropriate pair of shoes.
Suddenly changing from one type of shoe to another (e.g. winter shoes to summer shoes).
Weight gain.
If you can identify and address the things that contributed to the overload of the plantar fascia quickly enough, you may be lucky and have the pain resolve within a week or so. If this happens, you have probably overloaded your plantar fascia enough to cause irritation and pain, but have addressed the causative factors quickly enough to avoid a full-blown injury.
How do I know if I have developed a full-blown injury?
Again, every person is different, but the pain pattern and duration of pain are usually good indicators of whether you've developed a full-blown injury or not.
The stages below are just a guide, but if you feel like you're progressing through these stages and have been experiencing heel pain for more than two weeks, you should seek help as soon as possible.
Click on image to enlarge.
The sooner you seek help, the more likely you are to stop the injury in its tracks and start taking steps in the right direction. This doesn't mean that the pain will resolve overnight, but you have a better chance of overcoming the injury faster and with less impact on your life.
If you're sick of heel pain and ready to get some help, contact us or book an appointment online today.
Author: Shaun Bergin