Heel Pain Treatment Specialist in Brisbane

Heel pain affects people of all ages and activity levels. It is one of the most common problems our podiatrists see and treat in our clinic. As painful heels have many causes, such as plantar fasciitis, you want to take extra care to ensure that you have the right diagnosis - without it, your treatment may be suboptimal, and your healing process may be delayed or prolonged.

What is heel pain?

Heel pain is felt as discomfort or pain in the area around the heel bone (calcaneus), which is the largest bone in the foot. Swelling, tenderness, and difficulty walking are also common. The heel supports much of the body’s weight, making it especially vulnerable to excessive strain (pressure) and repetitive stress.

Risk factors for developing heel pain include abnormal walking patterns, flat feet, wearing ill-fitting or unsupportive shoes, and engaging in activities that place repetitive stress on the heel, such as running or prolonged standing (standing for long periods) on hard surfaces. Over time, these factors can lead to inflammation, tiny cracks in the bone (stress fractures), or irritation of the muscles and connective tissues in the foot. While we're talking about several causes of painful heels here, it should be noted that many resources mean plantar fasciitis when they mention painful heels.

Heel pain conditions we commonly treat

We treat a wide range of common causes of heel pain, including:

Brisbane clinic locations & opening hours

We treat painful heels at both of our convenient Brisbane locations — in the CBD and Newmarket. Find clinic details and opening hours below:

How we diagnose, assess and treat Plantar Fasciitis

Diagnosing plantar fasciitis starts with a thorough evaluation of your symptoms of plantar fasciitis, including when the pain began, what activities worsen it, and whether your first steps in the morning feel like sharp pain. We then examine the heel bone, the thick band of the fascia itself, surrounding muscle tissue, and nearby structures like the Achilles tendon to rule out conditions such as a stress fracture, bony spurs, or nerve involvement.

A podiatrist will assess your foot structure, gait, abnormal walking patterns, lower leg mobility, and footwear. This helps identify other risk factors, such as inadequate arch support, muscle tightness, or biomechanical issues contributing to the condition.

Imaging may be recommended in severe cases or when symptoms don’t follow the typical plantar fasciitis presentation. Once we understand the underlying cause of your problem, we create a personalised management plan designed to reduce pain, improve mobility, and support your long-term health and mobility.

Treatment options for painful heels

For over 90% of the cases of pain in the heels we see, we are able to treat these successfully using "conservative" treatment options, which simply means without using invasive procedures like injections or surgery. The goal is to first reduce your pain and swelling, then allow the damaged structure to heal, and then help prevent the problem from returning. Your podiatrist will discuss the best treatment options with you after your assessment, which may include:

• Custom-prescribed foot orthotics to help support your heels, feet and ankles and redistribute pressure across your feet as you walk and stand to help reduce the risk of re-injury

• Shockwave therapy, which helps accelerate the healing process when it comes to painful heels. Shockwave therapy emits high energy sound waves deep into the injured area, stimulating collagen and new blood vessel formation, increasing blood flow, helping break down calcium build-ups and reduces pain. Shockwave is a “top three” treatment adjunct for plantar fasciitis, according to studies.

• MLS laser therapy is a proven, painless and safe way to help treat pain in the heels. It helps relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and supports soft tissue repair.

• Foot and ankle strapping can help temporarily relieve pain and discomfort, depending on the cause of your pain.

• The RICE protocol consists of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This is a great way to start your recovery and help reduce pain before you’re able to get in to see your podiatrist for a diagnosis and proper management plan.

• Strengthening and stretching exercises to address any muscle imbalances that cause or contribute to your pain, thereby supporting healing and reducing the likelihood of the problem recurring in the future.

• Adapt and modify your training program to help prevent (or reduce the likelihood) of over-training and overloading the heels.

• Supportive footwear - we can give you recommendations on the best shoes based on the types of activities you do on a daily basis, as well as your foot type and gait characteristics. 

• Dry needling of the surrounding soft tissue structures to release muscle tension by targeting trigger points in the feet and lower legs.

• If needed, short-term use of anti-inflammatory medication can give you temporary relief until some healing has occurred.

• Foot mobilisation to help mobilise the joints and bones of the foot and ankle to address stiffness and dysfunction, supporting healing, repair and future injury prevention.

Surgical intervention for pain at the heels is a rare option and considered for chronic, severe cases that have not responded to non-surgical treatments for 6-12 months.

Why do we recommend early treatment of heel pain?

If you’re experiencing heel pain, early treatment gives us the best chance to settle symptoms before they worsen or become harder to manage. Many cases start with irritation of the plantar fascia, often due to overload, pressure, or repeated stress over long periods, and addressing this early helps reduce strain on the tissues before damage builds up.

When painful heels are left to linger, the body can compensate in unhelpful ways, increasing the risk of altered movement patterns and ongoing discomfort. Early care helps prevent symptoms from progressing into chronic pain in many cases. Additionally, in the case of plantar fasciitis, an irritated plantar fascia may progress to develop a tear if left untreated.

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