Posterior Heel Pain
When a Physio is talking about posterior heel pain, he or she is referring to pain behind the heel, not below it. Posterior Heel pain is not actually a condition but rather a symptom of one of the conditions.
If you have pain underneath the heel, on the bottom of the foot please go to our Heel Pain section which explains the likely causes and treatment options. This section refers to posterior heel pain (i.e. behind the heel), which is commonly due to:
- Achilles tendonitis is a condition of irritation and inflammation of the large tendon in the back of the ankle. Achilles tendonitis is a common overuse injury that tends to occur in middle-age recreational athletes. The overuse causes inflammation that can lead to pain, swelling and sometimes small tears within the tendon making it susceptible to rupture. For full details on this condition, click here
- Bursitis, there are several bursa behind the heel bone that protect this area of contact. Often these bursa can become irritated leading to bursitis, inflammation and posterior heel pain. For full details on this condition, click here
- Haglund’s Deformity (“Pump Bump”): a bony enlargement of the upper/back portion of the heel. This enlarged bone rubs on the Achilles Tendon, just above its attachment to the heel, causing inflammation and pain. For full details on this condition, click here
Often the cause of posterior heel pain is a biomechanical problem of the foot (a defect in the foot’s structure or function).
Diagnosis of the cause of posterior heel pain can be difficult as it is not uncommon for these diagnoses to coexist. For example, a patient with a bony spur of the calcaneus may have bursitis in that area as well. Because of this, all of these diagnoses must be considered for effective treatment of posterior heel pain. Our onsite Podiatrist can assess your condition through gait analysis. Posterior Heel pain is not actually a condition but rather a symptom of one of the aforementioned conditions so for further information please go to those sections.
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