hi i,m a semi pro footballer
i,ve been carrying a heel injury for about a year now..
i,ve got a swelling on the left side of the heel (right foot) heel which is sore to the touch but when i try to run
i,m gettin sharp shooting pains on the other side of the heel and up into the achilles,

i rested the injury for 3 months but as soon as i resumed training/playin the injury appeared straight away

would a cortisone injection cure this or would i need an op. how long is the recovery from an achilles op?

also would a qualified physio be able to give me a cortisone or will my doc need to do it?

i,ve been using the correct insole and that in my boots and been taking strong pain killers while playin.

as pre season is almost upon us once again theres no way i ,ll be able too do this intense training. without treatment.

i,m thinking it,s time for retirement.


any advice .

cheers in advance

Dear William,
Have you seen a foot and ankle specialist (Podiatrist/Orthopedic surgeon)? The best advise I could give is that you have your heel and ankle evaluated. I personally do not recommend cortisone injections to the achilles tendon region. The current theory is that cortisone may weaken the achilles tendon and make it suseptible to rupture. Unfortunately I am not familiar with whether or not a physical therapist can give injections, I do not know if that goes beyond their scope of practice. Anyways, go and get evaluated by a foot and ankle specialist, that way you will be able to be physically evaluated and a treatment plan can be set forth.

Good luck and thatnk-you for contacting foot.com,
sbarlizo, dpm
foot.com expert