Our heel pain clinic allows rapid access to assessment and diagnosis of your problem and treatment tailored to your issue and activities. Once we have assessed you, we will detail the treatment options available and start treatment with you on the day. We offer a range of treatment packages in order to resolve your issue as quickly and economically as possible.
Benefits of our heel pain clinic include:
- Rapid access and identification of the cause of your heel pain
- Treatment started on the day
- Part of a wider foot and ankle team if further investigations needed
How is plantar fasciopathy diagnosed? Plantar fasciopathy is usually diagnosed in clinic by taking a thorough medical history and conducting a physical assessment including clinical gait analysis. Further investigations are not usually needed, however, if they are, we work as part of a wider foot and ankle team including Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeons, Musculoskeletal Radiologists and, if necessary, your NHS General Practitioner to arrange further investigations which may include x-ray, ultrasound, MRI scanning or blood tests.
How can heel pain be treated? It is important to treat heel pain as soon as possible to prevent it getting worse and becoming more difficult to resolve. Once heel pain has been present for a longer period, it can continue for over 2 years so rapid assessment and treatment-planning can be really beneficial in this condition.
Treatments in clinic
Treatments will vary depending on the diagnosis, how long the symptoms have been present, what previous treatments have been tried and what is found in the clinical assessment.
Treatments include:
- Tailored stretching or specific strengthening exercises supervised by your Podiatrist
- Taping
- Night splints
- Footwear advice
- Foot orthoses to offload the area and improve foot mechanics
- Extracorporeal Shockwave therapy
How much does treatment cost?
We want to identity and relieve your heel pain as quickly and effectively as possible but, as with any medical condition, everyone is different and there are no absolute guarantees when trying to address this common but sometimes difficult to treat condition.
That is why we only offer treatments that are supported by the best available evidence and that are tailored to you and your circumstances and the length of time that you have had the condition. We offer the following appointments and treatment packages:
- Initial one hour heel pain clinic appointment – £98 in this appointment, we will go through the history of your problem, assess you, including clinical gait analysis and footwear assessment and start treatment which will vary from person to person but would generally include exercise therapy, strapping, foot orthoses if required (charged separately as not always needed and vary from person to person) and footwear advice
- Standard heel pain clinic package – £160 after the initial assessment and start of treatment, we would usually need to follow-up the results of treatment and want to make this easier for you. The standard heel pain clinic package covers the initial one hour appointment and start of treatment and up to 2 follow-up appointments to check on your progress and carry out further treatment if needed
- Shockwave heel pain clinic package – £395 if you have already had treatment, tried extensive home therapy or had heel pain for more than 3 months, we may suggest proceeding to shockwave therapy at your first appointment. We need to assess you first before we can go ahead with this package as shockwave therapy made not be appropriate for you and your condition once we have assessed you but, if you are suitable for this treatment, the package includes the initial one hour heel pain clinic appointment and first session of shockwave therapy, up to 3 further sessions of shockwave therapy 5-10 days apart and one follow-up appointment up to 3 months after the last shockwave appointment to check on your progress
What happens if treatment doesn’t work?
Around 10% of people may experience more persistent symptoms. Evidence suggests that women may experience symptoms for longer, especially if the condition has been present for more than 3 months. If the treatments above have not been successful within 3 months or more of the start of treatment, then referral for other treatments may be suggested including:
- Corticosteroid infiltration
- Platelet rich plasma infiltration
- Surgery to release the tension on the plantar fascia may be considered but should always be a last resort
More questions about our heel pain clinic and how we might be able to help you? Please contact us if you would like more details or book here if you would like to arrange your initial heel pain clinic appointment. If you are not sure about your condition and which treatments may be best for you, tell us more about your issue and one of our Podiatrists will get back to you with further help and advice.
