Burlington Orthotic Centre

Custom Orthotics & Footwear

1900 Walkers Line (Burlington) T: (905) 331-4391 F: (905) 331-6631

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Heel Pain

Plantar Fasciitis

Ever had that feeling when you step out of bed take your first step and you get that sharp stabbing pain in your heel? And then you hobble on the ball of your foot for a few steps and then as you get going the pain kind of goes away you forget about it? You sit down at work or you’re watching TV at home and you stand up again and bam there’s that pain again. Quite common, it’s called plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is that pain that starts at initiation of movement. More commonly you’ll see it first step out of bed in the morning. So think about it – you’re lying in bed you’re all relaxed your foot is all relaxed. You wake up you step out of bed and the first step you take you crank into your arch. Ouch, you feel that stabbing pain in your heel like someone’s just driving a knife right into it.

Please make sure if you have plantar fasciitis you are not stepping barefoot, wear a sandal or indoor shoes.

The fascia at the bottom of your foot is what’s getting stretched. That’s what’s causing the pain.

There’s lots of things we can do to help with plantar fasciitis. If you wear an orthotic please make sure you wear it all the time because this arch support is going to help support your arch and prevent the fascia from tearing. Please don’t be barefeet make sure you wear a sandal inside your house especially if you have hard floors. Call Burlington Orthotic Centre today at 905-331-4391 to discuss your heel pain.

Haglund’s Deformity

Haglund’s is a fancy name for the bump at the back of the heel that forms in some people. It is also called pump bump because it is quite common in women who wear dress shoes. The action of the shoe rubbing up and down on the back of the heel could be a contributing factor. There is a hereditary factor that may contribute to Haglund’s and people with high arches may be predisposed. When you have a high arch it causes the uppermost portion of the back of the heel bone to rub against the Achilles tendon, which in combination with certain styles of footwear can lead to the formation of the bony protrusion seen in Haglund’s deformity. Once this protrusion has formed, the bursa in the area tends to become inflamed leading to painful bursitis.

The majority of children I have seen with a Haglund’s deformity have been competitive hockey players playing 5-6 times per week. This is thought to be due to how rigid hockey skates are and at times they have pressure points at the back of the heel where the Haglund’s deformity is formed. Once the deformity has formed, it is common for the continuous irritation between the bony growth and back of the skate to lead to rbursitis. This is typically when children begin having symptoms.

A Pedorthic assessment can determine if custom foot orthotics would help reduce the discomfort or if accommodation pads can be implemented in footwear to reduce the irritation between the deformity and the shoe. Heel lifts can be added to custom foot orthotics or placed separately in footwear to slightly raise the heel to help relieve some tension in a tight Achilles tendon. This should be accompanied with a stretching program for the calf muscles to help lengthen the tendon.

Footwear that are backless or have a soft back would help limit irritation to the area associated with this condition. Accommodation pads can also be added to the interior portion of the back inside footwear to help create a pocket for any bony growth at the heel. These pads are intended to reduce any rubbing between the bony growth and interior portion of the shoe.

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