The first thing we are often asked is “what caused the onset of my heel pain”?  To understand this we must first define the difference between “onset & cause”.

• ONSET: This means the “event” that triggered the pain symptom, of an underlying cause.
• CAUSE: This means the underlying medical condition/injury that is the root cause of the pain symptom.

ONSET:

The “onset” of the pain can be the result of some of the following life events;

• Suddenly walking longer distances. (possibly while on holiday)
• Jumping down from a height or a step. (stepping off of a curb or bus or a train)
• A sporting event that involves walking running or jumping. (basketball, netball, badminton, squash or similar)
• Walking in an old pair of comfortable shoes that you have not worn for a period of time.
• Suddenly standing on an uneven surface such as a stone or stick.

CAUSE:

Of the 12 common foot problems, 4 in particular can be the underlying cause of heel pain.  They are “heel spur” “plantar faciitis” “over pronation”, “tendonitis”.  The causes of heel pain are generally well established in medical science. These causes can be alleviated in the majority of cases using custom made Orthotics.  Click on the images at the bottom of this page for accurate descriptions of each of these underlying causes.