Foot pain treatment in Dublin

The two most common reasons are a pinched nerve between the toe bones, called Morton's neuroma, which gives burning, tingling or the feeling of a pebble under the foot, and overloaded joints behind the toes, which give an ache or bruised feeling when you push off. Tight or narrow shoes make both worse. Both respond well to treatment once we know which one it is. It could also be an injury to the plantar plate which is a ligament located at the base of the 2nd metatarsal which can commonly get injured.

For pain from walking, standing, sport or footwear, a podiatrist. That's what we do all day, and you don't need a referral. See your GP first if the foot is hot, red or swollen, if you have diabetes and a new sore or wound, if you've had a fall or injury, or if the pain is there at night or at rest.

Usually not. Most foot pain can be diagnosed from your history, a hands-on examination, and how your foot loads on the pressure plate. If we think something needs imaging, like a suspected stress fracture, we'll say so and point you to the right place rather than guess.

Often part of it, rarely all of it. Shoes that are too narrow, too flat or worn out can start foot pain or keep it going. But the same shoes on a stronger foot often cause no trouble at all. We'll tell you at your assessment whether your footwear needs to change, and what to look for, instead of sending you off to buy an expensive pair on a hunch.

Yes, it can. How quickly depends on how long you've had it and what recovery looks like to you, whether that's getting through a working day without aching feet or running a 5K. We agree on a goal with you at the start and build your rehab around it. Foot pain comes back when the foot loses the strength it needs for what you're asking of it. So you finish with a simple exercise routine and the know-how to keep your foot strong, long after you've stopped coming to see us.

End-of-day aching, with nothing sore to press on, usually means the muscles that hold your arch up are fatiguing before the day is over. It's common in people who stand for work and in people who've recently put on weight or started a more active job. It usually improves well with strengthening, and we can measure exactly where the foot is giving way.

Most patients feel some relief in the first two or three sessions. That's step one of our method, and it's what lets us get on with the real work of strengthening the foot. Full recovery depends on three things: how long you've had the pain, how strong and mobile your foot is now, and what you're aiming to get back to. If it started a few weeks ago and your goal is to walk around the block without pain, that's usually a matter of weeks. If you've had it for months, can barely walk, and want to run a 10K, expect a few months of steady work. After your assessment we'll give you an honest estimate for your case.

Honestly, no. If you've had it for more than a month, it's very unlikely to be gone in a week, whatever a video or an insole advert promises. Anything that's been building for months has usually left the foot weaker than it should be, and strength doesn't come back in seven days. If it only started in the last few days, it's a different story, and getting it looked at early is the quickest route back. Either way, a week is enough to get the pain settling and a plan in place.

Some of them, for some people. Exercises are the core of how foot pain gets better, but only if they're the right ones for what's causing yours. A generic calf stretch or towel curl might be exactly what one person needs and a waste of time for the next. That's why we assess first: to find the cause, measure where your foot is starting from, and then give you exercises that match. If you've been doing the online ones for a few weeks and nothing's shifted, that's usually the sign they're not the ones you need.

Not necessarily. An orthotic doesn't fix anything on its own. It moves pressure from one part of your foot to another, so it only helps if the part taking the new load is strong enough to cope. That's why we work on making your foot as strong and mobile as possible first, and add orthotics only if the assessment shows you need them. When they are the right call, ours are 3D-printed from your own pressure scan rather than picked off a shelf. If you've already bought insoles in a shop, bring them to your assessment.

In most cases, yes. Stopping altogether tends to leave the foot weaker, which is the opposite of what you want. What we do is bring the load down to a level your foot can handle: shorter distances, strapping to support the sore area, maybe a change of footwear, and Class 4 laser to take the edge off the pain. Then we build the distance back up as you get stronger. How much you can safely do depends on your assessment, so book that first if you're in pain now and unsure.

No. Both can ease the pain for a while, and for some people that's useful. But neither one changes why the area was overloaded in the first place, so on their own the pain tends to come back. Our approach is to settle the pain with strapping and Class 4 laser, then fix the cause by building strength. If your case is one where an injection is worth considering, we'll tell you and point you to the right person.

For foot pain, a podiatrist. Physios treat the whole body, and a good one will help. But feet are all we do, all day, every day, and foot pain is one of the most common things we see. That means we've got the kit for it, like pressure plate analysis and Class 4 laser, and we've seen every version of it walk through the door.

If you've been in pain for under 6 weeks, a podiatry assessment is €90: muscle, joint and strength testing to find the cause, then a plan to get you back to what you love. If it's been over 6 weeks, a full biomechanical assessment with our Footscan pressure plate is €169. Most Irish health insurance plans that include podiatry will cover some or all of it. Check your policy or ask your insurer, and we'll give you a receipt to claim with.

No. You can book directly with any of our clinics, online or by phone, and you'll be seen by a CORU-registered podiatrist.