Heel Pain IS a Pain!

A full 1/3 of people who come to the clinic with a foot issue, complain of heel pain! And for those who have prolonged a visit to get help, that "pain in the heel" has usually progressed to the knee and/or hip.

As long as the problem is just a good old dose of plantar fasciitis (which is now being called "fasciosis" due to the lack of any real inflammation), it will go away with some careful management.

If you've had this type of heel pain before, it would be advisable to have a pedorthist perform a full biomechanical examination to ensure that there isn't an underlying issue. If you are already wearing proper foot orthoses and good shoes, then a bit of self-management with kinesiology tape might be the next thing to try.

Here's a photo-by-photo sequence to tape yourself.

Get yourself into a position that you can reach your foot. Initially use light stretch in the tape only.

Start with a 10" piece covering the tissue of the heel.

Pull the tape straight up the back of the Achilles tendon, ending on the calf muscles.

Use a second piece of tape about 14" long that starts on the top of the foot.

Come through the arch with a bit of tension on the tape.

End the second piece along the shin, giving both pieces of tape a light rub to remove any wrinkles and make sure the tape is secure.

Kinesiology tape is a drug-free way to manage mild musculoskeletal injuries. Leave it on for up to 3 days then give your skin a rest for a day. Reapply as needed.

Here's the fancy video version to surfer music for those of you who can tape super quickly! (Kidding...take your time to do this correctly)