Assess
A detailed history and a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave knowing what is wrong, why it happened and exactly what we are going to do about it.
Concern
Plantar Heel Pain and Achilles Treatment in London
Plantar heel pain and Achilles tendinopathy are the two most common foot and ankle problems we treat, and both are slow to resolve without the right loading. They are also both very treatable, provided the programme is progressive and you stick with it.
Overview
Understanding foot and ankle pain
Foot and ankle pain in active adults is dominated by two presentations, alongside the ankle sprains that never quite got rehabilitated.
Plantar heel pain, often called plantar fasciitis, typically produces sharp pain under the heel on the first steps out of bed, easing as you warm up and returning after prolonged standing. It responds to progressive calf and foot loading alongside sensible adjustments to footwear and standing time.
Achilles tendinopathy causes pain and stiffness in the tendon, again worst first thing and after periods of rest. Progressive loading is the strongly evidenced treatment, and it needs to continue for months rather than weeks.
Ankle sprains are frequently under-rehabilitated. Around a third of people go on to persistent symptoms or repeat sprains, largely because balance and strength work stops once the swelling settles. Treatment across all three runs through physiotherapy and graded rehabilitation.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
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I saw Amanda for a problem I've been having with a painful shoulder. She explained to me what the problem was, did a thorough treatment session and gave me some exercises to do to improve it. Very professional and friendly, I highly recommend her.
I first visited Amanda following a maisonneuve fracture. That day I walked 107 steps in a camboot with two crutches. I have visited weekly. Yesterday I walked 13,315 steps (no crutches, no boot). The transformation is truly amazing.
I booked with Michelle for my first appointment. When I stood up I said to her it feels like heaven as my continuous back pain had totally gone. I was totally pain free for 7 hours so bless you Michelle.
Excellent treatment of my lower back and related sciatica injuries from CrossFit. Definitely my go-to therapist when in dire need of pain relief.
Physiotherapy for foot and ankle pain can help you to:
Get those first steps of the morning back
Sharp heel pain on the first steps out of bed is the classic plantar presentation. Progressive calf and foot loading, alongside practical footwear and standing adjustments, is what resolves it.
Load an Achilles properly rather than resting it
Rest lowers the capacity the tendon needs, which is why it so often fails. Progressive loading is the strongly evidenced route, and we will be honest that it takes three to six months rather than a few weeks.
Stop spraining the same ankle
Around a third of ankle sprains lead to ongoing symptoms or repeat injury, usually because balance and strength work stopped once the swelling did. Finishing that work properly is what breaks the cycle.
Keep training while it settles
We adjust volume, surface and footwear rather than stopping you altogether, so you retain fitness while the tissue rebuilds capacity. Some discomfort during loading is acceptable if it settles within a day.
Why it happens
What causes foot and ankle pain?
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A rapid increase in running, walking or standing volume beyond current capacity
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Reduced calf strength and endurance, the most common finding in both heel and Achilles pain
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Inversion ankle sprain, particularly one that was never fully rehabilitated
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Unsupportive or newly changed footwear, or a sudden change of running surface
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Prolonged standing at work on hard floors
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Previous foot or ankle injury, the strongest predictor of a further one
What happens at your first appointment?
Your first visit is a full 60-minute assessment: a detailed history, then testing of how you move, how strong you are and what the painful area is actually doing. We explain the working diagnosis in plain English and agree a plan with you before any treatment starts.
You leave with a written summary and a home programme, emailed the same day and loaded into the Move Health app so the technique stays right between visits.
The starting point for better health. Our clinics work together to take you from injury, through recovery and performance, to the kind of health that holds up for decades. One team, one plan, one record of where you started.
- Two London clinics: inside UNTIL at 280 Bishopsgate by Liverpool Street, and in Canary Wharf.
- Led by Amanda Yardley, an HCPC-registered, CSP-chartered physiotherapist with 15 years in the profession.
- Objective VALD strength and asymmetry testing, so progress is measured rather than guessed at.
Fees and booking
You can refer yourself, with no GP letter needed, and book online in a couple of minutes at whichever clinic is easier to reach.
- Initial consultation: £120 for 60 minutes, including assessment and treatment plan
- Follow-up: £95 for 60 minutes, or £75 for 30 minutes
- Sports massage: £85 for 60 minutes, or £55 for 30 minutes
- Self-referral: book directly, no GP referral required
- Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm, at both London clinics
- A written plan and a home programme emailed the same day, every time
From injury to longevity
the Origin Health journey
Most people arrive with something that hurts. What happens after that is the part most clinics leave to chance. We treat the problem, rebuild the capacity you lost, then keep you strong enough that it stays fixed.
Treat
Hands-on manual therapy chosen for your presentation, with Western medical acupuncture or soft-tissue work added where they help. Treatment is not the goal in itself: it opens the window to move and load properly.
Rebuild
Progressive, coached exercise rehabilitation restores the strength and load tolerance you lost, with full gym facilities at both clinics. This is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Stay well
Each follow-up measures you against your own baseline. We discharge you when you have the strength and the tools to manage alone, with clinical Pilates, sports massage and golf screening on hand to keep you there.
What we treat
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy for back, neck, shoulder and joint pain
- Progressive exercise rehabilitation, with full gym facilities at both clinics
- Sports and deep tissue massage for recovery and ongoing maintenance
- Western medical acupuncture within the AACP framework
- Post-operative and sports-injury rehabilitation
- Post-natal and paediatric musculoskeletal physiotherapy
- VALD strength and asymmetry testing for objective, tracked progress
- TPI golf physiotherapy movement screening with Amanda
Treatment approach
How do we treat foot and ankle pain?
Physiotherapy
£120Assessment distinguishes plantar heel pain, Achilles tendinopathy, and residual instability after a sprain, and identifies the small number of presentations needing imaging.
See treatment detail →Exercise Rehabilitation
From £75Progressive calf and foot loading is the strongly evidenced treatment for both plantar heel pain and Achilles tendinopathy, and balance work is what prevents recurrent ankle sprains.
See treatment detail →Sports Massage
From £55Soft-tissue work through the calf can ease symptoms enough to make the loading programme more tolerable in the early weeks.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
Why does my heel hurt most on my first steps in the morning?
That pattern is characteristic of plantar heel pain. The tissue stiffens overnight and the first loading of the day is the most provocative. It typically eases as you warm up and returns after long periods of standing or at the end of the day.
How long does Achilles tendinopathy take to get better?
Longer than most people expect. Meaningful improvement usually takes three to six months of consistent progressive loading. It is slow, but the evidence for loading is strong, and stopping the programme when symptoms first ease is the most common reason it returns.
Should I rest a painful Achilles or heel?
Complete rest usually makes things worse, because the tendon loses the capacity it needs. We reduce aggravating load rather than stopping altogether, then build back up progressively. Some discomfort during loading is acceptable, provided it settles within 24 hours.
Do I need orthotics?
Sometimes they help in the short term, particularly for plantar heel pain, but they manage symptoms rather than build capacity. We would not rely on them alone: the loading programme is what changes the outcome, and orthotics are an adjunct to it.
Related Concerns
Get Started
Book a physiotherapy appointment
in the City or Canary Wharf.
Origin Health • 280 Bishopsgate, Liverpool Street, London EC2M 4RB
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks