Heel Pain Treatment in Belfast

Heel pain is one of the most common problems we treat at the Lower Limb Clinic. It has several different causes that can feel similar but need very different treatment, so the first job is always an accurate diagnosis.

Using in-house diagnostic ultrasound, video gait analysis and pressure plate technology, we identify exactly which structure is causing your pain rather than guessing. That means treatment is targeted from day one and you spend less time sore.

A heel spur, or calcaneal spur, is a small calcium deposit that forms on the heel bone. Plenty of people have one and never know, because spurs are common and usually painless. When heel pain does occur alongside a spur, the pain almost always comes from the surrounding soft tissue, most often the plantar fascia.

That is why we do not chase the spur. We assess the fascia, the fat pad and your foot mechanics, then use treatments such as shockwave therapy and custom orthotics to settle the painful tissue and offload the heel. See our dedicated heel spurs page for more detail.

Heel pain that comes on with running, or that is worse the day after a run, usually points to plantar fasciitis or an insertional Achilles problem driven by training load and foot mechanics. A sudden jump in mileage, new shoes or a change of surface are common triggers.

We use video gait analysis to see how you load the heel when you run, then build a plan that keeps you training where possible while the tissue recovers. If you are dealing with this, our guide on heel pain after running walks through the likely causes and next steps.