Tenderness back of heel

[Guest nicoal]

I've been having for quite some time, a bit of an issue with my right foot/ankle. The achilles tendon sometimes smarts in the beginning of pointe, but once warmed up is fine. Also when I've been sitting for a while the back of my heel (the boniest part before the sole of the foot and below your achilles) is very stiff and it hurts when I first start walking. It goes away after I walk (usually the distance to the kitchen from my cubicle will do it).

If touched, it's tender on that heel bone in about the size of a quarter. The closer to the achilles, the less it hurts.

I have very flexible ankles and a deep plie.

I'm not sure if it's tendonitis or what... maybe an over-use issue?

I certainly don't want to be exacerbating the problem, in general it doesn't bother me but somedays it is fairly painful when I first stand up.

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

[Amy Reusch]

I don't really know enough to comment.... but....... that part about it hurting when you first wake up sounded awfully familiar... Best recommendation is to call the nearest professional dance company, find out who their physical therapist is and go see him/her...

 

A while back there was this thread on plantar fasciitis, but maybe you're talking more about the achilles than underneath.

[Mel Johnson]

That does sound like the area of the os trigonum, a triangular outcrop of bone which sometimes fractures away from the heelbone (bone chips) or develops a bone callus (bone spur) from overuse. Since it's transient, and responds favorably to movement, I'd not worry about it, but get a name and causation on it, soon. A physical therapist is good, a podiatrist better yet, and an orthopedist best of all.