Heel pain

Hello, I may have been dreaming, but I’m sure I saw a post on the site regarding heel pain. Recently I have been suffering with pain in my heel, which is worse at night but hurts when walking or resting. Just wondered if anyone had experience of the same thing. Thank you. Xx

Hi it could be a stress fracture - espesh if you are on Letrozole. Am also taking Vit D and ibandronic acid but still managed hairline fracture without realising. Have it checked mine only hurts first thing - ice rest and paracetamol 

Hi Poppy

Heel pain, along with pain in most bones in my feet (and hands and knees…) is a constant with me right now. Rheumatology gave me a simple heel/leg exercise which has helped a bit by stretching the tendons that hurt so much.*

It’s worth discussing it with your oncologist in case your bones are vulnerable, but otherwise I would recommend exercises for plantar fasciitis which I had before my bc diagnosis. The oncology physio recommended them. The simplest is to roll your foot back and forth from the ball to the end of your heel along a tennis ball, pressing more firmly as the pain eases (as it does). Some physios recommend spiked balls but if you have PN, don’t think about them! My physio says a filled water bottle works just as well. YouTube has some good videos illustrating the most effective exercises but choose carefully.

It looks like this is a longer-term solution with daily exercise but I guess it’s better than the alternative! I just didn’t envisage that, 2 years on, my body would feel way worse than it did before breast cancer reared its ugly head.

All the best. Hope something here helps xx

* Hospital exercise: You place a rolled up bath towel under your knee, raise your other knee into a supporting position while you are lying on the bed and then stretch out your leg at the heel, press your knee into the towel and raise your leg straight from the heel (probably only a few inches - you feel it in your thigh). Hold it for 10 seconds and relax for 5. Repeat 10 times. You can feel the tendons of the heel stretching, which is what they probably need.