​Haglund's deformity, or retrocalcaneal exostosis, is a bony enlargement of the back of the heel bone which was first described by Patrick Haglund in 1927. Haglund’s can be referred to as a “pump bump” because it’s been associated with people who wear rigid backed pump style shoes. It can become very painful and cause blisters and bursitis at the back of the heel from friction inside shoes. Haglund’s deformity may be accompanied by a calcaneal bone spur and/or intra-tendoneal calcification of the Achilles tendon.

​Traditional medicine and physical therapy often say Haglund’s is caused by hereditary factors such as high arches, tight Achilles tendons, and walking on the outside of their feet. In runners it is also said to be an overuse injury. First, it’s important to understand the body responds to stimulus and all those factors are a response to our environment rather than genetic.
 
Haglund’s always occurs on one heel and not both (at least at the same time and same intensity) just like all other injuries, which means that the injury is caused not by use or overuse but imbalances in the body left to right.

Below I will walk you through 3 simple tests to help you feel and understand what is causing your Haglund's deformity and pain. 

Myth 1: Injuries are the result of bad luck. 
Truth: Scientifically there is no such thing as bad luck, thus that can't be the cause of running injuries. All running injuries are caused by something concrete and with enough investigation the underlying cause can be found and fixed or eliminated, which will help that injury heal faster and more completely and help prevent future running injuries. ​