Heel pain?

[parapaul]

Quite peculiar, this.

Since my disc prolapse and surgery a year ago, and no doubt due in part to the fked up hobbling around I was doing for many months beforehand, I've woken up most mornings with 'tight' feeling muscles in my left calf, the same sort of feeling I'd expect after fairly strenuous exercise the day before.

Exercise and stretching have made no difference, but it's no big deal, the tightness wears off after half an hour or so of walking about and doesn't inconvenience me at all.

For the last week or so, as well as the tight calf muscles, I've had excruciating pain in my heel. Not underneath, but at the back, where I'd imagine the calf muscles attach to the bony parts of my foot - does that make sense? It's difficult to describe, but I suppose it's comparable to what I'd expect if I'd ridiculously overdone the weights at the gym the day before, and all the muscles and tendons had siezed up.

This doesn't wear off as easily, and while I can walk quite happily in supportive footwear like walking boots or decent trainers, barefoot is uncomfortable for several hours after getting up.

I go to the gym a couple of times a week, and walk the dog for an hour most days, but haven't done anything I can think of that would have hurt me.

Any ideas anyone? Is this one for the GP/physio/osteopath or do I just need to man up?

TIA

[redtwin]

Heel spurs, well that is what the podiatrist said it was and said that surgery to remove them was a possibility. I had the pain in both heels, but one was always much more severe than the other (can't remember which now).

I never got that far and the pain went away after I lost loads of weight. If you say the pain isn't there depending on footwear then I would avoid walking barefoot or look into orthopaedic footwear.

[dave_s13]

Go to the GP.

You may be doing stretches but might be doing the wrongs ones or not enough/properly.

Or, you could have cancer that's metastasised into your bones...just to cheer you up.

It will most likely be secondary to the back problem that's altered your gait slighlty and casued overuse injury somewhere along the line.

9.5 times out of 10 it just gets better over time, can take a while though.

Or you have cancer.



You don't have cancer...only kidding

[GMJ]

Forget about GP and physio. Go and see a sports/deep tissue massage therapist.

[enioldjoe]

+1 for getting some orthopaedic footwear/ shoe inserts.

I have a problem with one foot which makes it very uncomfortable to walk barefoot for any length of time. It's something to do with plantar fasciitis/heel spurs.

Anyway, I always wear an off-the-shelf shoe insert/support which does the job. But the best product that I have found are orthotic flipflops! I can't wear normal flipflops due to their lack of support, but these babies are so comfy I will find any excuse to wear them. Even during the winter months with socks on! (Mostly indoors... )

[LordGrover]

GMJ said:

Forget about GP and physio. Go and see a sports/deep tissue massage therapist.

GP maybe, they're called 'general' practitioners for a reason but a sports physio should be able to help. Clearly there are good and bad out there but IME once you find a good one they can be very beneficial.
I have no experience of "sports/deep tissue massage therapist" so cannot comment.

[parapaul]

Bit of a thread resurrection, but it's my thread so

We had a new mattress on our bed last week. Since then, no more pain. Result