Blog, Heel Pain
In the media: Dr Brenden Brown talking heel pain on Channel Nine’s Coach website
It’s true there’s nothing sexy about foot pain, but nonetheless it’s a common complaint that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Dr Brenden Brown, sports podiatrist and founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care, recently chatted to the folks over at Coach to explain the popular causes of heel pain and what can be done about it.
“Most heel pain is some form of change to the large tendon that travels in the bottom of the foot and up the back of the heel — tendons hate change,” Dr Brenden tells the team at Coach.
“The moment you massively change your activity over a short period of time, [the tendons] get really sore and angry,” Dr Brenden explains.
To read the article in full, head on over to Coach.
ABOUT DR BRENDEN BROWN
A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care is one of Sydney’s leading foot and ankle clinics. Principal podiatrist and founder of A Step Ahead Dr Brenden Brown (AKA Dr Foot) has been taking care of people’s feet for more than 20 years.
With a background in sports medicine and having served as a former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Dr Brenden Brown is a wealth of information when it comes to foot and ankle care.
He has appeared on Sunrise, The Today Show, Mornings with Kerri Anne and Current Affair. Dr Brenden Brown is a regular on Wendy Harmer’s Sydney’s Morning on ABC Radio and has also shared his expert know-how in the field of feet in Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, New Idea, The Australian and The Daily Telegraph.
Dr Brenden Brown is passionate about sharing his stellar knowledge of common and complex foot issues and raising awareness of the importance of foot health.
Blog, Heel Pain
10 things you should know about heel pain
Heel pain is common but that doesn’t make it any less painful or less frustrating to live with. While the causes of heel pain can vary, the most popular culprit is a condition called plantar fasciitis (also referred to as heel pain and runner’s heel).
There are many cases of misunderstood heel pain—either because a proper diagnosis hasn’t been sought or the incorrect information has been given out. With a myriad of myths circulating about heel pain, it’s essential to get the right advice.
10 things you should know about heel pain
Bruising isn’t always the cause
“Heel pain is commonly linked to a bruised heel; but in fact an over-stretching of the fibrous tissue in the foot causes plantar fasciitis. It can also be incorrectly diagnosed as heel spurs or achilles tendonitis,” says podiatrist and founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care Dr Brenden Brown.
Rest is not the best treatment
Rather than seeking professional help, many people suffering from heel pain will ignore their condition—hoping rest and time will cure it. If left untreated plantar fasciitis can last years.
Ignoring heel pain can lead to other health concerns
Untreated plantar fasciitis can further aggravate the foot, resulting in increased swelling. It can also lead to other medical problems affecting the hips, back and knees.
Barefoot is not best
Going barefoot might seem like the natural thing to do but walking around without shoes puts additional strain on the plantar fascia—particularly first thing in the morning, when the muscles and tissues are tight.
Cushioning offers comfort but not a cure
People commonly opt for a foam or silicone heel cushioning as a treatment for heel pain. Yes, this might provide some temporary comfort, but it won’t cure the condition.
Not all orthotics are equal
Hard, rigid orthotics are not only uncomfortable, they will do nothing for your foot pain. They might actually cause you more pain. Soft pliable orthotics are designed to support the foot while allowing the natural movement. However, orthotics alone won’t heel your feet pain. Talk to one of our podiatrist about the best orthotics and the different therapies that can help rehabilitate damaged tissue.
Fancy footwear isn’t always the answer
Thongs, trendy trainers or even fancy footwear with special arches won’t cure heel pain. Yet choice of shoe is important. A shoe that has a firm shell and a small amount of structured cushioning works best. The shoe should NEVER bend in the middle. Before heading out to pick up a new pair of shoes, chat to one of our podiatrists to get the right advice—as well as a detailed solution that includes other treatment options.
Injections aren’t the only option
Cortisone injections can be painful and evidence suggests they don’t work. In fact, one study showed that 3 months after having a cortisone injection more than 55% of people had the same pain. Another study revealed that injections of saline and cortisone both gave exactly the same result!
Heel pain can be prevented
Prevention is always the best cure and there are a number of ways to help ward off heel pain including:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Stretching before exercising and wearing appropriate footwear with supportive heels and shock-absorbent soles
- Avoiding wearing ill-fitting and second-hand shoes
- Avoiding going barefoot
Plantar fasciitis can be cured
The first step towards treatment should be a proper diagnosis from a podiatrist. The best approach to heel pain should be a multi-pronged plan that might include orthotics, professional advice and therapy, such as shockwave treatment.
To find out more about plantar fasciitis visit: heelpaindoctor.com.au or to obtain a diagnosis contact A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care today.
A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care is one of Sydney’s leading foot and ankle clinics. Principal podiatrist and founder of A Step Ahead Dr Brenden Brown (AKA Dr Foot) has been taking care of people’s feet for more than 20 years. With a background in sports medicine and having served as a former president of the Australasian Podiatry Council, Brenden is a wealth of information when it comes to foot and ankle care.
You might also be interested in our Facebook live sessions:
5 Myths about heel pain
6 reasons your heel pain is NOT getting better
Strength exercises to beat and prevent heel pain
Or head over to Coach Nine to hear what else Dr Brenden has to say about heel pain.
Blog, Heel Pain, Shockwave
Blog, Heel Pain, Shockwave
Top 6 reason your heel pain isn’t getting better – UPDATED
You CAN beat Heel Pain
Heel pain can be debilitating! The pain often stops people in their tracks first thing in the morning! Walk a few steps and it may be relieved. Others as the day progresses, the pain becomes worse. Finding help can be frustrating and confusing as you can often see multiple practitioners and receive multiple answers with little relief.
We first wrote this article in 2014. 3 years later, after helping literally 1000’s more patients with heel pain. After HOURS more of research and implementing significant changes in the way medicine has begun to understand Heel Pain, it became time to updated this very popular article!
With the experience of literally helping 1000’s of heel pain patients, between 10 and 20 a day! We have put together the following list of the Top 6 reasons we have noted patients have not got better.
We hope this helps you on the way to beating your heel pain.
1.You decide to go it alone and NOT get professional advice.
Of all the people we see, a large proportion of them have never had any care or professional advice. Quotes like “I just thought it would go away” or “A friend told me what they did to get rid of the pain and I just tried that”. Most times it doesn’t! You will increase your chance of beating heel pain, significantly by getting a professional opinion. Professional advice and treatment costs money. Yes some people find this expensive however others find it invaluable. It depends on how much you really want to get rid of your very sore heels?
2.You wear thongs (flip flops) because your feet are sore
Wearing thongs, Croc type shoes or even bare feet for many people make their feet feel better initially but all our experience tells us you are doing more damage. The pain you feel days later not necessarily at the time. You are welcome to argue this point as much as you like, while you continue to hobble…………
3.You get advice and then choose which bits you use.
Great work on getting advice now it’s time to take it ……yes ALL of it. When a care plan is developed for you, if you choose only the bits you like to hear and the easy bits, you will end up failing to get better. Your Podiatrist should work with you as a patient to establish the best way to relieve you of your pain. They should speak to you about what shoes are best for you. What treatment will get you better quickest, including strength exercises, therapy to relax the soft tissue and possibly orthotics. Now choosing NOT to do some of the suggested treatment universally ends up with patients not getting better. Our Podiatrists do all that and more, does yours?
4.You bought hard rigid orthotics from a Podiatrist.
Our experience tells us that rigid hard orthoses on most occasions irritate the heel and the arch region adding to your discomfort. We have over the years collected many pairs of rigid orthotic from patients who give them to us in frustration after finding they have hindered rather than help. Secondly if this is the only therapy you were given, with the exception of a couple of possible stretches then we would suggest to you that there is more to getting rid of your pain than this – ask the question “So how is this rehabilitating my damaged soft tissue?”
5.You stop ALL activity.
As our understanding has changed over the years we now appreciate the following – “TENDONS HATE CHANGE”. Stopping all activity if you are currently active is a sure-fire way to ensure that when you return to your activity you will also see the return of your heel pain!
You SHOULD make modification to activity, However a complete stop will mean you either
A. Need to rebuild your activity over quite an extended time.
or
B. Your heel pain is likely to return!
For the moment STOP Jumping of and onto things. For example, on + off a truck, box jumps at exercise class, skipping or other high intensity impacting the heel and forefoot until we have you back to comfortable. We will then slowly load you back up to these activities.
6.You choose a practitioner who does not understand heel pain.
So your GP says they will fix your heel pain? Your Physio who is treating your shoulder says the same and the Podiatrist you see, who works one day a week at your local GP clinic and cuts your toe nails, says they will fix it no problem. Who do you choose?
Your heel pain is not simple its complex and for you it’s really sore! Choose someone who see’s and treats heel pain regularly. Choose someone who is passionate about making sure that they help you on the way to getting you better. All the people above are probably very good at what they do, but they most likely won’t end up helping you beat your pain!
Did you know there are about 10 different condition’s that could be causing your pain? When our practitioners are asked by GP’s Physio’s + Podiatrists on Heel pain it is often a surprised to the how complex this condition is! Our Doctors all sports podiatrists see this condition multiple times a day. When you see something that often you are more familiar with it + know how to get on top of it. Ask the person you see how many Heel pain patients they help a day.
How can we help
At A Step Ahead foot + Ankle care we see approximately 8 to 12 heel pain patients a day. We have patients that travel literally hundreds of kilometres to seek our help – Which is really lovely! Our clinics are set up quite specifically to treat patients with heel pain. We have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into equipment and the latest technology to help us, help you- beat heel pain.
Our Principal Podiatrist Brenden Brown is recognized as an expert in Podiatry. A past President of the Australasian Podiatry council he is considered a Medical Expert in the area of Foot health, appearing regularly on television shows like the Today Show and Magazines like Men’s Health. He has appeared for some time as the Medical expert for lower limb conditions on ABC radio’s “the Waiting Room”
It would be a pleasure to help you beat your heel pain.
We are located in Penrith and St Marys in Sydney’s Western suburbs.
You can contact us on 47322007 or 96732987 we hope you will.
Blog
DeFEET your HEEL PAIN!
1. If it HURTS, stop doing it! Pain is actually your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong – listen to it! Putting pressure on a (painful) damaged muscle/tissue/bone = further damage = no improvement = ongoing pain. It’s as simple as that.
2. Nothing will change unless YOU change it. You’ve been wearing the same shoes and trying the same stretches and whatever else google has advised you since your pain started and you’re still in pain. Consult a practitioner that specialises in heel pain – not all podiatrists and practitioners do! Look for a practice with a proven track record with heel pain – different practitioners do things very differently and get very different results!
3. STICK to the plan! “It’s only when people venture off the main path in the forest that they get lost and chased through the forest in the night.” As practitioners we don’t tell you things to try and make your life difficult and play ‘let’s test if anyone will actually do this’. We do this because we KNOW it works and see it working all day every day, for those who stick to it. If we could make it easier, we would! But taking shortcuts hasn’t produced good results for our patients, and you came to us to get you pain-free.
4. Understand what is happening! Make sure you completely understand: what your condition is, what causes it, what aggravates it, WHY you are having the treatment you are and what the treatment is actually doing to and for your feet. If you don’t see a purpose to doing something, you are a lot less likely to stick to it. Not being fully informed about your condition can create uncertainty about your treatment. Ask all the questions, ask them as many times as you need, and let your practitioner help you to understand. If you get a generic answer along the lines of “It’s plantar fasciitis and you need these very hard orthotics” – Our number will be at the bottom!
5. Finally, DON’T give up! Whether you’ve just started your journey to being pain-free or have tried multiple options from different practitioners with no success, very seriously, don’t give up! We are often people 3 or 4th opinion – some have been to physiotherapists, specialists, GP’s and other podiatrists – if they haven’t had success with you, sadly you’re not alone! I have the privilege of seeing the pain levels of my patients decreasing every week until the pain is gone. Every foot is different, the causes of heel pain are different, and when this is correctly analysed, diagnosed and treated, amazing things can happen. Our treatment is VERY different!
These are my top 5 because I see these so often! It’s actually fairly unusual to see anyone who isn’t struggling with at least one of these points. But rest assured – heel pain can be defeated, you don’t have to keep battling it and letting it limit your activity and you can be completely pain-free. We have patients who regularly travel from all across Sydney NSW and even interstate to see us! Its not unusual for us to be the last of a long line of other practitioners you may have seen. Come and join our ever-growing team of pain-free patients – we’d love to help you too!
Dr Nina to the right and Shendi on the left with our patient Kimberley who beat heel pain!
A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle care
Penrith, St Marys
and soon to come to a suburb near you!
Dr Brenden’s White paper report on the “6 Reasons You Won’t Beat Heal Pain” outlines what’s stopping you from beating this and tips on how to stop it in its tracks!