I have a (insert sharp, stabbing, bruised or burning) pain in my heel. What could it be?

You wake up, plant both feet on the ground, stand up and then…YEOW!!! Somebody has shoved a sharp knife into the bottom of your heel! Or at least that’s what it feels like. You take a few steps – it still hurts, but not as bad. Ok, so maybe that pain was just a fluke? With your heel still slightly tender you carry on with your morning ritual and sit down for a cup of that much-needed coffee. Then you get up again. YEOW!!! There’s that knife again.

Welcome to the not-so-exclusive club of heel pain. As painful as your heel may be, relax. You are in good company. Heel pain relief is the number one treatment our Chiropodists (Foot specialists) offer, and to toot our own horn, we do a pretty awesome job of it.

When patients initially visit us their first question is usually “How do I get rid of my pain?” Well, there actually isn’t one magical cure. Not every patient needs orthotics, to replace shoes, to stretch, to ice, or to see physiotherapy. Heel Pain has many different causes and may be a symptom of a much larger problem, such as a problem in your back or an old knee injury.

To treat it thoroughly, the first thing we need to do is discover the root of the problem. There are many things you can do at home to help us help you. However, the best advice we can give you is to immediately seek help from us. Many people wait for 6 months or more before they come to us, trying everything under the sun to get better, only to feel their pain come and go or, in most instances, worsen. We want to put an end to your first step-in –the-morning pain. We want you to be able to run that extra distance without your heel hurts. We want you to be able to chase your child without wincing in pain. We want you to be able to work an entire shift without limping and cursing that blasted heel. We regularly hear our patients say, “Wow, I should have come a long time ago!”. Call us at our physiotherapy clinic in Bowmanville, CobourgOshawaPort Hope, and Peterborough.