Heel Pain: Why It Happens and What to Do About It

If you’ve ever taken your first steps out of bed and felt a sharp, burning pain in your heel, you’ll know it’s not something you forget in a hurry. It can stop you in your tracks before your day has even begun. For many people, it eases off after a few minutes of walking, only to return after sitting down for a while, or by the end of a long day on your feet. If that sounds familiar, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis and the good news is, it’s one of the most common things we see and is very treatable.

What’s actually going on?

Running along the bottom of your foot is a thick band of tissue called the plantar fascia. It connects your heel bone to the base of your toes and plays an important role in supporting your arch with every step you take. When it’s under too much strain, repeatedly and over time, it becomes irritated and inflamed, particularly where it attaches to the heel. That’s the pain you feel and that distinctive sharp sensation first thing in the morning happens because the tissue tightens overnight while you rest, then is suddenly asked to stretch and bear your full weight the moment you stand up.

It can affect anyone but it tends to show up when something has changed. A new exercise routine, a sudden increase in how much walking or standing you’re doing, footwear that isn’t giving your foot enough support or simply carrying a bit of extra weight. Sometimes there’s no single obvious cause; it’s just a build-up of too much, too often, on a structure that wasn’t quite ready for it. People who spend long hours on hard floors, those returning to exercise after a break and runners who’ve recently increased their mileage are all particularly prone to it.

What do most people try first?

Rest, usually. And that can help in the short term, but complete rest isn’t always practical and it doesn’t address the reason it happened in the first place. Some people try gel heel inserts from the chemist or switch to trainers and hope for the best. These things aren’t wrong but they’re rarely enough on their own and without proper assessment, it’s easy to manage the symptom without ever getting to the root cause.

One thing worth knowing is that ignoring plantar fasciitis and pushing through tends to make it worse, not better. It’s a condition that responds well to early, appropriate care and much less well to being left alone for months. If you’ve been managing it yourself for a while without much improvement, that’s a sign it’s time to get a proper assessment.

When should you get it seen?

If the pain has been going on for more than a few weeks, is getting worse rather than better or is starting to affect how you walk or what you’re able to do, it’s worth booking an assessment. The longer plantar fasciitis goes unaddressed, the more stubborn it tends to become and what might have resolved quickly with the right support can take considerably longer if left untreated.

At Epsom Footcare, Edward Double (Ed), our Clinical Director and musculoskeletal podiatrist, specialises in exactly this kind of problem. Ed will take time to understand your symptoms properly, how long it’s been going on, what makes it better or worse and what your day-to-day life looks like. He’ll assess your foot mechanics, look at how you walk and review your footwear before putting together a treatment plan that makes sense for you specifically. That might include a tailored stretching and loading programme, advice on footwear or custom orthotics to correct the way your foot is working. In some cases, further treatment or onward referral may be recommended. He’ll explain everything clearly and make sure you leave knowing what to do and why.

The reassuring bit

Heel pain can feel relentless, especially when it’s the first thing you experience every single morning. It can make you reluctant to exercise, hesitant to make plans and frustrated that something so seemingly simple is proving so persistent. It can affect your mood, your sleep and your confidence in staying active.

But plantar fasciitis responds well to the right treatment and most people see real improvement with the right support in place. You don’t have to just put up with heel pain and you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Book an appointment or call our Patient Care Team on 01372 723000.