You swing your legs out of bed, take that first step, and a sharp pain stabs through your heel. By mid-morning it has eased to a dull ache, so you tell yourself it is fine, until the next run brings it back. If that sounds familiar, you are in good company.
Winter is peak running season in Brisbane, and with it comes a predictable rise in two common complaints, plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy. This article explains what causes heel and Achilles pain in runners, why resting alone often does not fix it, what actually helps, and when to see a physiotherapist.
- What Causes Heel and Achilles Pain in Runners?
- Why Does Resting Alone Not Fix It?
- What Actually Helps Heel and Achilles Pain?
- What Can You Do Right Now?
- When Should You See a Physio?
- Helping You Perform at Your Best
What Causes Heel and Achilles Pain in Runners?
Both conditions are usually load problems rather than signs that something is broken. Your tendons and the tissue under your foot are remarkably adaptable, but only if load goes up at a pace they can keep up with. Most running injuries trace back to too much, too soon.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel or arch, classically worst with the first few steps in the morning or after sitting, and after long runs. It involves irritation of the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue along the sole of your foot. It is common, affecting around 10 per cent of people over a lifetime.
What Is Achilles Tendinopathy?
Achilles tendinopathy is pain and stiffness at the back of the heel or just above it, often worse first thing in the morning or as you warm up into a run. It reflects the Achilles tendon struggling with the load being asked of it.
Why Does Resting Alone Not Fix It?
The instinct is to stop running and wait for the pain to disappear. The trouble is that complete rest detrains the tendon and the foot. Pain settles for a while, you return at the same load, and the problem comes straight back.
Tendons and fascia get stronger by being loaded, gradually and appropriately. That does not mean pushing through sharp or worsening pain. It means the answer is usually to adjust the load, not remove it.
What Actually Helps Heel and Achilles Pain?
Evidence-based care for both conditions centres on progressive loading. The things that usually move the needle are:
- Smart load management. Review how quickly your distance, pace or hills have climbed, and pull the spikes out of your week.
- Targeted strength. Calf and foot strengthening that builds capacity where it is needed.
- Footwear and biomechanics. A look at your shoes and how you load through the foot and lower limb. This is where having physiotherapy and podiatry under one roof genuinely helps.
- A graded return. Reintroducing running volume and intensity at a pace the tissue can keep up with.
What Can You Do Right Now?
- Reduce your weekly running volume and ease off the spikes rather than stopping completely
- Begin gentle calf and foot strengthening
- Check your footwear is appropriate for your running
- Avoid pushing through sharp or worsening pain
When Should You See a Physio?
It is worth getting assessed if you have heel or Achilles pain that has lasted more than a week or two, pain that is getting worse run on run, pain that changes how you run, or a niggle you want sorted before your event.
Seek prompt review for a sudden severe pain at the back of the calf or heel during activity, an inability to push off or rise onto your toes, or a sense that something snapped.
Helping You Perform at Your Best
Heel and Achilles pain can be frustrating, especially when it interrupts your training and stops you doing what you enjoy.
At Ace Sports Medicine in Upper Mount Gravatt, our physiotherapy and podiatry team provides personalised care for running injuries across Brisbane's southside.
Need support for heel or Achilles pain?
Book an appointment with the Ace Sports Medicine team today.
