[andy_e]

My right heel is playing up for some reason. It feels like I've smacked it on something, but there's no bruise, and I've had it for a few weeks now.it's the top of my heel, where all my pairs of shoes end- could this be something to do with it? It hurts when I drive (i.e. the heel is touching the back of the shoe on the accelerator) and also when I first put my climbing shoes on, and, as of today, it has begun to hurt when I sit in lectures too.

Anyone had anything similar? Help much appreciated.

[matthew]

I know that feeling. I'm no doctor but ...... could be Achilles Peritendinitis but then it might not be. That was what my heel pain was diagnosed as.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=225
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=231

[The Sausage]

Could easily be... is the tendon swollen compared with the other side? does it feel like there's friction when you move your ankle?

[dave]

when my cellar board was new and I didn't have many mats down i dropped off and smacked the back of my heel bone on the stone floor. it fucking killed for a while, bruised, was tolerable in trainers but really hurt in most rockshoes, and it swelled up so i couldn't get any of my normal rockshoes on without morphine, i remember we went to wales and I had to dig out an old baggy mocasym slipper to wear on one foot. after a couple of weeks it was OK again though.

[Scouse D]

Also could be plantar fasciitis. I've had plenty of this. Feels more sore when you first get up and weight it.
Mine usually resolves itself but try changing the shoes you wear for a while, might help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis

[slackline]

What Dave says 

Any sharp falls/landings on your heel?

Might have a minor fracture to your calcanium, although you'd probably know about that

Did mine in Font a few years back (thanks to my brother rolling a fag instead of spotting me I landed square on my feet but my heel was on a tree root as opposed to the mat).

[Bubba]

Also could be plantar fasciitis.

That's more on the bottom and front of the heel though innit? This is more achilles area by the sounds of it.

[The Sausage]

There is also a bursa and a fat pad between the achilles tendon and the calcaneus. The bursa can become inflamed (bursitis) with friction/rubbing. Are you doing any new activity or have you increased or changed any activity (running/cycling)? or been ice skating/ski-ing/ice climbing?

[Scouse D]

Plantar fasciitis does generally affect the flat of the heel although it can also affect further back and the ball of the foot. Whether it's achilles based or plantar fascia I reckon it'll just get better of its own accord soon.
Have you bought any new trainers recently. My feet were well painful after I bought some Skate shoes. Changed my shoes and the pain slowly went.

[andy_e]

Cheers for the reply, let me specify perhaps:-

The pain is below the achilles tendon, on the bony bit of the heel itself.

Any sharp falls/landings on your heel?

Not to my memory, this is why I don't understand what's caused it!

Could easily be... is the tendon swollen compared with the other side? does it feel like there's friction when you move your ankle?

There's no swelling or friction at all, it appears and feels normal but there's just the pain...

[The Sausage]

Two more questions... 1) is the pain deep or superficial? 2) are the things you've described as making it worse due to the position/action, or are they more about what is touching it?

If it is getting worse and starting to affect what you can do, i'd go to see your GP as a first port of call. That is really what they're there for after all.

[andy_e]

1) Superficial, it feels a bit like a bruise as I say but there's nothing there.
2) I think the pain comes from prolonged contact with something, like when I'm doing a long distance journey and my fott's on the accelerator for ages (which is when I first noticed it really, driving to font)

could i have possibly bruised the bone?

cheers sossij!

[GCW]

I think the pain comes from prolonged contact with something, like when I'm doing a long distance journey and my foot's on the accelerator for ages (which is when I first noticed it really, driving to font)

I often get that on longer journeys, thank the Lord for cruise control.

I've always put it down to local ischaemia, kinda pre-pressure sore.

[andy_e]

kinda peer-pressure sore.

...is what i read at first...

the pain was there before that though, i first noticed it when putting climbing shoes on...

[GCW]

Yours may well be a bursitis like problem.  Have you tried hot/cold therapy and stretching?
If that doesn't help, stop wearing climbing shoes (or go and see a physio).

EDIT:  Google retrocalcaneal bursitis.

[andy_e]

EDIT:  Google retrocalcaneal bursitis.

Did so, doesn't seem to be that that's the problem!

If that doesn't help, stop wearing climbing shoes (or go and see a physio).

Noooooooooooooo

[The Sausage]

Hello again.
How old are you? are you diabetic? a smoker? long history of excessive alcohol consumption?
It does sound like it could be something ischaemic (lack of oxygen getting to the tissues), but this could come on from prolonged stretch.
I would say go to your GP rather than a physio. Mainly because it's free, but also it doesn't really sound mechanical in nature. does it hurt when standing on tip toes (in bare feet), how about bouncing on your toes - try with both feet first, then hopping. If you can hop on your toes on the affected foot (without re-creating the pain), it isn't mechanical (i would say), and a physio probably won't help you.

Just to ask the same question again - have you changed anything recently - footwear, activity level (think carefully, have you started walking up stairs instead of getting the lift, stretching, doing yoga... anything).

do you feel well in yourself? have you got a temperature?

[slackline]

Just to ask the same question again - have you changed anything recently - footwear, activity level (think carefully, have you started walking up stairs instead of getting the lift, stretching, doing yoga, going to uni lectures... anything).

[andy_e]

Hello again.
How old are you? are you diabetic? a smoker? long history of excessive alcohol consumption?

Ah, subtle way of asking A/S/L there...
21, not diabetic, don't smoke, don't have to drink very much at all...

do you feel well in yourself? have you got a temperature?

I'm fine, nothing wrong that I know about.

Just to ask the same question again - have you changed anything recently - footwear, activity level (think carefully, have you started walking up stairs instead of getting the lift, stretching, doing yoga, going to uni lectures... anything).

Rumbled!

But seriously, I always walk everywhere anyway, never take the lift, don't stretch (although probably should!), never tried yoga...

Ok, so we've established it's not mechanical at all, nothing I do to it by moving it causes it any pain (I don't even get any pain when I press on it). I've had these shoes for a good few months (probably 3 or 4 months now) and my heel's only just started hurting so I don't think it's related to them, maybe just mildly agitated by them.

Sorry for this thread being so long-winded, cheers for all the help from all the docs!

[The Sausage]

Have you had, or do you get any low back pain? Nerve root pain from L5/S1 is referred to that area, and things like driving position are classic for causing compression/ischaemia of the nerve root.

Do you get any pain down the outside part of your calf/thigh or in your butock?

If you sit on a chair, slump right down into a C shape, stretch the affected leg out in front of you and pull your toes up, does it bring the pain on?

incidentally, this is all just chat and in no way constitutes any sort of diagnosis/elimination of potential causes of the pain.

If it's getting worse, go to your GP. But answer the questions anyway, because i'm interested!

[Tommy]

Hi Andi - what makes you feel like it's not retrocalcaneal bursitis? The symptons you describe are exactly what I suffered through Uni and ended up in me taking 2 yrs off climbing.

I tried Ibuprofen, stretching, rest and ultrasound - none of it worked one little bit. Like you I couldn't rest my heels against anything hard and it became agony to wear a pair of climbing shoes. Mine came on from having an competition with a mate for the most problems we could tick in the bouldering guide in a semester! Obviously... excessive running around in shoes and increasinging your problem ticking is not a good idea!

Finally the problem was resolved by icing 4 times a day with frozen peas. Pretty silly of me to not try this in the intervening 2 years, but that's life sometimes! I would do this for about 1 week and I'd get about 4 weeks of pain free climbing. Repeat as required....

Hope this helps?

[andy_e]

I've just bought these bad boys. They're so so beautiful but they're also causing a lot of pain to both my heels  :'(

My heel is no better or worse than before- I might try some Ibuprofen on it to see if it helps. When should I take it?

[robertostallioni]

I might try some Ibuprofen on it to see if it helps. When should I take it?

Between your third and fourth pints.

[andy_e]

And where were you last night? Crying it off with a limp injured wrist too? 

[robertostallioni]

Same as ever. Round your mums.

[Stubbs]

Still tired from the beating the keel handed out to you stallion? 

[robertostallioni]

I deserved it. I felt like my head was going to pop every time my toe insufficiently took the swing. I needed a bucket of red paint to throw over the whole world.....Next time eh?