You can ease most heel pain yourself at home. If it doesn’t go away, see a GP.
How you can ease heel pain yourself
Try these things:
See a GP if:
- you see no improvement after treating at home
- the pain gets worse
- you’re finding it difficult to walk
Common causes of heel pain
Your symptoms might give you an idea of what’s causing your heel pain. But don’t self-diagnose – see a GP if you’re worried.
| Main symptoms | Possible cause |
|---|---|
| Very bad pain taking first steps after waking or after period of not moving, difficulty raising toes off floor | Plantar fasciitis |
| Tenderness and pain at back of heel and along Achilles tendon, pain in calf when standing on tiptoes | Achilles tendonitis |
| Swelling, feels hot, pain on squeezing heel bone, hurts to walk and you’ve had an injury | heel fracture |
| Pain at back of heel, can raise toes without pain | bursitis |
| Numbness or tingling in foot when moving or resting | peripheral neuropathy or tarsal tunnel syndrome |
| Stiff, swollen heel, difficult to move foot | arthritis |