Who hasn’t experienced that unpleasant little pain in their heel when putting their foot down in the morning? We often tell ourselves it’s “nothing,” just fatigue or the shoes we wore the day before. Yet, when this discomfort sets in and transforms even the simplest walk into a real struggle, we start to wonder… So, where does this pain really come from, and more importantly, how can we get back to walking lightly without suffering?
The most common causes of heel pain

The first culprit, and by far the most well-known, is plantar fasciitis. Imagine an elastic band connecting your toes to your heel: it’s what supports the arch of your foot. When it’s overused, it becomes irritated and causes that infamous sharp pain, often upon waking or after prolonged sitting. Athletes who run a lot, as well as people who stand for hours at work, know it well.

But that’s not the only explanation! Achilles tendinopathy, for example, can also cause pain, as can heel spurs, small bony growths that form on the heel bone. Add to that poor posture, shoes that are too rigid (or, conversely, insufficiently structured), and even a lack of warm-up before exercise: a combination of factors that can contribute to the onset of pain.