Heel pain

In summary: heel pain has a solution, and the key is finding the cause —often plantar fasciitis, not the spur. We diagnose it with ultrasound during the same appointment and, in the vast majority of cases, we treat it without surgery. In Martorell, Barcelona (Teknon) and Igualada.

Heel pain is one of the most frequent reasons for consultation… and one of the most poorly treated, because often the symptom is attacked without finding the cause. Here we do it the other way around: first we find out why it hurts.

The most common causes are plantar fasciitis (the most frequent) and the heel spur. With the examination and ultrasound we distinguish between them and choose the treatment that suits you. Choose below what sounds most like your case.

Why the heel hurts more when getting up or after sitting

Many patients describe it the same way: the first steps of the morning are the worst. The heel pain stabs, forces you to walk carefully for a few minutes, and then eases a bit.

This happens because, during rest, the heel tissues retract. When you put weight on the foot again, they stretch suddenly and protest. It is the most typical pattern of plantar fasciitis, the most frequent cause of this pain.

But it is not the only possibility. Pain that grows at the end of the day, or that is centered behind the heel, may point to Achilles tendinopathy or an overload of the heel pad. Each pattern points to a different cause. That is why the first question of the visit is not “where does it hurt”, but when.

Common mistakes that prolong the pain

With heel pain, there is a very human temptation: waiting for it to go away on its own. Sometimes it does. But when the pain has been going on for weeks, the most likely thing is that the problem settles in.

These are the errors we see most often in consultations:

• Continuing with the same activity that caused the pain, without adapting it.
• Changing shoes blindly, without knowing if footwear is really the cause.
• Taking anti-inflammatories as the only measure: they soothe, but do not correct anything.
• Stretching aggressively a tissue that is already irritated.

The result is usually the same: you walk differently to protect the heel and end up overloading the knee, the hip, or the other foot. Breaking this circle is easier the sooner you start.

What the first visit is like if you come for heel pain

First we talk. Since when it hurts, at what time of day it appears, with what shoes, what job you do and what sport. This conversation already rules out many things before touching your foot.

Then we explore the heel and perform an ultrasound in the same appointment. It allows us to see the fascia and soft tissues the same day, without waiting for external tests to start.

If we suspect that the way you walk is contributing, we complete it with a gait analysis with a 3D scanner. And with all the information, we propose a specific plan: depending on the cause, it may include regenerative treatments, insoles made for your foot, or activity guidelines. Never a “by protocol” treatment: first the cause, then the solution.