Plantar Fasciitis in Padel Players: What You Need to Know

Plantar Fasciitis in Padel Players: What You Need to Know

If you play padel and feel pain in your heel,especially first thing in the morning or when you take your first steps after resting — you might be dealing with plantar fasciitis (more accurately, plantar fasciopathy). Here’s what it is, why it happens, and how you can stay on court without being sidelined.

What is the Plantar Fascia and Why Does it Matter?

The plantar fascia is a strong, elastic band of tissue that runs from your heel bone to the base of your toes. Think of it as your foot’s shock absorber and energy recycler. It supports the arch, absorbs impact, and releases that energy back into your stride and movement.

On a padel court, it’s always at work, helping you sprint, stop, pivot, jump, and lunge. When it’s overloaded, the problems begin.

Why Padel Players Get Plantar Fasciitis

It’s rarely just one cause - usually a mix of factors:

• Overuse: too many games, too little recovery.
• Biomechanics: flat feet, over-pronation, or tight calves/soleus muscles.
• Shoes: worn-out or poor-fitting padel shoes that don’t give you enough cushioning.
• Sudden changes: upping your training volume, new surfaces, or tougher sessions without prep.
• Weakness: underdeveloped foot muscles, forcing the fascia to take more load.

Why it’s Common in Padel

The sport demands it: constant side steps, explosive changes of direction, heavy landings, sudden stops. Your fascia never gets a break. Add fatigue, bad footwear, or poor technique, and you’ve got a recipe for heel pain.

How to Prevent It

Here’s how you can keep it away:

• Check your biomechanics - get your gait analysed, spot structural issues.
• Choose the right footwear - shoes built for padel, good grip, cushioning, and matched to your playing style.
• Strengthen your feet and legs - calf raises, towel scrunches, and mobility work for your feet.
• Efficient movement - refine technique so you’re not forcing your body into bad positions.
• Recovery matters - stretch, roll, massage, ice, and rest when you need to.

What to Do if You Already Have It

If the pain’s there, don’t just push through:

• Physio - stretches, manual therapy, and mobility drills.
• Insoles/orthotics - correct your foot mechanics and reduce strain.
• Strength work - rebuild those small foot muscles.
• New shoes - if your old ones are worn, replace them.
• Advanced options - if chronic, treatments like PRP injections or (as a last resort) surgery.

Corcuera Takeaway

• Listen to your feet early, don’t wait until the pain is unbearable.
• Respect your footwear: replace, rotate, and choose wisely.
• Train your feet as seriously as your shots.
• And if the pain sticks around, get professional help so you can get back to enjoying padel, pain-free.