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Heel pain is a soreness or tenderness on the sole of your foot.

You will probably feel a sharp pain when you first stand up.¹ After you've been standing for a while this might become more like a dull ache. The pain might spread from your heel to the arch of your foot.

Doctors call this type of heel pain plantar fasciitis, which means inflammation of the covering of a muscle.

The plantar fascia is a band of tissue (a bit like a rubber band) that stretches from your heel to the ball of your foot.

If the band is short, you'll have a high-arched foot. If the band is longer, your foot will have a low arch and you'll probably have flat feet.

A pad of fat in your heel covers the plantar fascia to help absorb the shock when you walk.

Older people are more likely to get heel pain than children and young adults.² This might be because as you get older your plantar fascia may not stretch so well. Instead of being flexible like a rubber band it can become stiffer, like a rope.

The fat pad on the heel may also get thinner and not absorb so much of the shock as you walk, which might damage the plantar fascia. A spur of bone may sometimes grow where the plantar fascia joins your heel bone. This might make your heel painful.

But doctors aren't really sure why some people get a pain in their heel.² Some people think their heel hurts because the plantar fascia is inflamed from too much heavy pounding, for example, from jogging on concrete. But there's no evidence that heel pain is caused by inflammation.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.