Foot Pain - Plantar Fasciitis

Heel Pain Syndromes

One of the main causes of foot pain is a condition of heel pain syndrome. We use this term to cover any discomfort or pain to the bottom back half your foot, in and around the heel. When we diagnose your condition properly and medically, a more firm diagnosis is provided. The exact type of injury, the mechanism of injury and your medical history, will determine the correct way to treat this discomfort. One of the most common problems associated with the heel area, includes plantar fasciosis, often incorrectly termed plantar fasciitis by none specialists. We even have the repeated and non medical diagnosis of policeman's heel being provided to our Telford and Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton patient groups, suffering from foot pain! The correct diagnosis is critical to optimum treatment. Luckily experience, diagnostic ultrasound and biomechanical analysis all combine to make this an easy task for me here at our Podiatry and sports injury clinic, here in Telford.

Some additional causes of heel pain, include:

• Neurogenic
• Seronegative Arthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Entrapped nerve in the lower back
• Osseous Cysts
• Stress Fractures (Often only show on MRI)
• Achilles Tendonitis and Tendonosis
• Achilles Bursitis
• Infection
• Tumour

How Do I Diagnose your Heel Pain?

Quickly and easily in 99% of cases is the simple answer! A clinical assessment for your foot and heel pain will Seek to identify what the pain is, the exact anatomical structure and the medical or mechanical cause of the pain. In the vast majority of cases, mechanical stress is the reason for the damage. I will use Diagnostic Ultrasound to look inside of your foot, in the majority of cases, as confirmation. Blood tests, X-Rays or Rheumatology referral is rarely required, but undertaken when appropriate.

Mechanical based heel pain, will have a mechanical cause. Sometimes this is inappropriate footwear, or increased walking on hard surfaces. Other times, it will be based upon poor and often barely noticeable foot function, that creates to much stress or pull/push in a small area. We use gait analysis and force plate analysis to identify the problem.

How Do I Treat this Condition Differently?

The fastest and best method of treating this condition remains Bespoke Custom Orthotics. Footwear advice and strengthening of the surround muscles, if a weakness exists. A simple and effective treatment overall, with high success and fast results. If you have significant pain, then SHOCKWAVE THERAPY will quickly and easily help you heal the damaged ligaments, within 3-5 sessions over 4 weeks. Shockwave is a fantastic adjunct treatment to heel pain and plantar fasciitis, I am lucky enough top own this equipment and use it in our Telford Clinic.

The custom devices need to be accurate and correctly prescribed, designed, manufactured and adjusted for optimum outcome. These Sports Orthotics are medical insoles, custom made to your foot from a 3D laser scan. Our precision Orthotics, combined with experience are the very best available. Patients regularly travel over 100 miles each way, in order to obtain the best custom insoles available.

I use £100,000 worth of equipment and 15 years worth of dedicated training and experience to ensure the best possible orthotic result. Each and every orthotic is designed by myself, start to finish. We have an international orthotic laboratory on site, to give the best turnaround possible.

This holistic method of treatment addresses the ROOT CAUSE of your problem and in doing so balances the forces within your foot and leg, stopping your ankle instability almost instantly.