Heel Pain X-ray YES or NO by Dr Brenden Brown – Podiatrist

Transcript

So, you've got heel pain and you want to know whether or not you need an X-ray. Well, guess what? I'm here to tell you that you most probably don't.

Why you ask? Most times no matter what great aunt Beth tells you, heel spurs on the bottom of your heel don't actually cause pain.

Now we know that because stacks of people actually have and present with heel spurs, but actually have no pain whatsoever.

You need to trust your clinician to actually make the right diagnosis for you. We know from research as well that heel spurs don't cause pain.

Heel spur and Why you don’t have one by Dr Brenden Brown – Podiatrist

Blog, Heel Pain

Transcript
So let's talk about do heel spurs actually cause pain? Guess what? The answer is probably not. Most pain in your heel is actually a result of soft tissue injury. That's right. The tendons, muscles, or nerves around your heel are the reason for the pain, and not the bony spur at all.

Now, how do we know this? There's stacks of ways and one of them is research. So we've done loads of research that actually shows that on taking x-rays of oodles of people, we've found that despite lots of people having x-rays, only a very tiny percent of those people actually have any pain. Now, if the spur causes the pain, shouldn't they all have pain? Hmmm, yeah, you see, that's one of the reasons why we know that most heel spurs don't cause pain.

Now what else do we know? Heel spurs don't come and go, right? Once you've got a heel spur, it's there the whole time. It's not going to come and go like the cast of "Neighbours." No one's moving to Queensland to get a job, right? Okay, so your spur is not going to suddenly appear and not appear, but that's what often happens with pain in your heel.

I realise that there's stacks of information out there and Auntie Bess is going to tell you that it's a heel spur that's causing your pain. Somewhere along the lines, you're going to have to trust me more than Auntie Bess. I hope that helps you with some of the confusion about why it's probably not a heel spur.

Want more information? That's fantastic. There's stacks of videos that we've made. Look down below. There's most likely a link there, or check us out on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc., all the normal socials because we've got stacks of educational videos on heel pain and all the other conditions that we look after. Thanks and stay happy, healthy and active.

Heel Pain hacks to use Right Now!

Blog, Heel Pain

Heel Pain, there’s loads for me to say about this but most importantly it’s PAINFUL! Most people who have suffered from it, will tell you it stops you doing the things you love! From simply at times getting up in the morning, to playing with the kids, or maybe doing exercise, this pain stops life!

I’m a Foot Doctor, a Podiatrist with over 20 years experience, I’ve seen literally 1000’s of people with this pain, I’ve also experienced it myself, so the question is – what would I do if I had Heel Pain right now?

Stuff you can do RIGHT NOW to reduce Heel Pain

Look at footwear
This sounds more simple than it is. Here goes, My tips would be this -Lace up shoes are best. Runners / Sneakers are the style I changed to immediately when pain struck me. Now I don’t feel right in runners at the clinic so I wear business shoes with laces, swapping out of my elastic sided RM’s.

Lace up shoes reduce the movement of my foot and stops excessive movement and partially immobilise the structures in the foot. They do this far better than a slip on shoe. Right now feet need love and attention!

Best shoe for this? See a link I hope is below?
Change your habits
Next I wear them all the time! No really ALL THE TIME! What’s that mean? I wear lace up shoes at work, down the shops, and yes lord forbid in the house! ?I think of this like a “Broken foot” and compare it to a cast for a broken arm. What would happen if someone took the cast for their broken arm off when they got home? Floppy arm for life anyone?

Women often ask me about “going out” or “going to functions” My reply could be what would we do if the foot was in a cast BUT being practical I say this, where your runners to the door, slip on the pretty shoes then SIT! No really SIT, no walking long distances, No dancing, no networking on your feet for hours.

Finally – this is NOT forever! It’s only while in pain.
Get advice QUICK!
There is tonnes of stuff that will help me. I’m a Foot Dr and I’ll start professional care, BOOM straight away! Why? Because I know the sooner I start the above the LESS likely I am to make sure this does NOT become CHRONIC, or long term!Shoes alone won’t fix this for 80% of people but it helps reduce discomfort and gets it on track!

Professional advice means getting the correct diagnosis, because there is definitely more than one type of heel pain!

See below.With a correct diagnosis you can start professional treatments such as soft tissue therapies;
- massage
- shockwave
- loading
- addressing foot posture if needs be
These I can discuss in another post or this will go forever! I’ll link it below a series of quick articles talking also about stuff that I have found doesn’t work!

I’ll also chat about making sure you get the right diagnosis because I see this condition misdiagnosed too many times to count!!! And of course other tips etc in both video and blog format. If they aren’t here, you may need to come back and check, I’m a real live foot doc and not a marketer so I may not have “my shit together” just yet but I promise they will appear below at some stage ?

For those that don’t know I’m Dr Brenden Brown. A Podiatrist with 23 years experience in helping patients in particular musculoskeletal and sports injuries like Heel and ankle pain.

This work has also lead me to have a great deal of interest in helping kids with posture and pain problems in their lower limbs.

I’d love to be able to help you too! If you’re serious about beating your pain call our clinic on (02) 9673 2987 or use one of the contact us resources below!

Thanks for reading!

Follow me on social media:
instagram.com/askdrfoot
facebook.com/podiatristsydney
twitter.com/AStepAheadFAC

Not ALL heel pain is plantar fasciitis

Blog, Heel Pain

With 24 years clinical experience, Dr Foot knows a thing or two when it comes to heel pain—the causes and the common misdiagnoses.

He says, “The foot is a really complicated area of the body. There’s a lot more to the foot than just the fascia. So it stands to reason that not all heel pain can be attributed to the one condition—plantar fasciitis.

The plantar fascia ligament runs along the bottom of the foot. “Fasciitis” is Latin for ‘inflammation of the fascia’. Yet it’s NOT ALWAYS inflammation that’s the cause of heel pain.

Without the right diagnosis, how can we expect our heel pain to get better?

When making a diagnosis, clinicians need to consider ALL the possible causes of heel pain and not assume that every case of heel pain is plantar fasciitis.

Transcript

Not all heel pain is plantar fasciitis

Not all heel pain is plantar fasciitis. It can't be. Have a look at this foot. The foot and the leg is really complicated. Look at all these tendons, these bones, ligaments in this region. Look at the heel.

This is a really complicated area. It's one of the things that when I'm lecturing to other doctors, I'm talking to them about how very complex this region is. There's more that a fascia, so it stands to reason that it can't all be the one condition.

What we need to do is make sure that we diagnose the right condition. Now, fasciitis means an inflammation; it isn't always inflamed that's causing the pain. We need to make sure that we get the diagnosis right, so that we can head you in the right direction for treatment.

Dr Foot’s No.1 Tip for Reducing Heel Pain

Blog, Heel Pain

Want to know the secret? Watch our video to discover Dr Foot’s No.1 tip for reducing heel pain.

Excruciating heel pain that just won’t let up can definitely slow you down. It’s a no-brainer that you want to find the best way to solve your heel pain (who wouldn’t?).

First things first, with a myriad of myths circulating about heel pain, it’s essential to get the right advice. For example, rest is not always best, going barefoot isn’t the answer and heel cushioning isn’t a cure for heel pain.

While there can be multiple reasons for heel pain, and it’s absolutely important to address the underlying cause—Dr Foot has one stellar tip for reducing heel pain that he loves to share.

Is All Heel Pain Plantar Fasciitis?

Blog, Heel Pain

Watch our video to find out what other foot-related conditions could be causing your #heel pain and what do to if, despite seeing a clinician, your heel pain still exists.

There are numerous cases of misunderstood, or misdiagnosed, heel pain. Problem is, not all heel pain is the same AND there could be many underlying causes. Plantar fasciitis is just one of them!

Plantar fasciitis refers to the ‘plantar fascia’—that’s the fibrous ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot, from the heel bone to the toes.

It acts as our in-built shock absorber, but sadly it doesn’t easily stretch, which can cause problems.

Plantar fasciitis is Latin for ‘inflammation of the plantar fascia’. This pain and inflammation is a result of pressure on the foot and micro tearing of the plantar fascia.

Transcript
Is all heel pain plantar fasciitis?

Hmm, you know I think it's important to let people know that not all heel pain is a heel spur or plantar fasciitis. When I lecture or teach other doctors about foot and heel pain, I remind them how really complicated feet are. With dozens of ligaments and tendons and bones, how can it be that all pain is from only one Condition? And the thing is, it's not.

Apart from fasciitis, it could be abductor hallucis, nerve entrapment, tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis pain; there's literally half a dozen other conditions heel pain can be. If you're not getting better, it may be because you've misdiagnosed, and that's a sign that maybe you need another opinion.

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Heel Pain X-ray YES or NO by Dr Brenden Brown - Podiatrist

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