Heel pain is a chronic, throb Heel pain is a chronic, throbbing pain at the base of the foot. Heel pain does not cause health risks, but is can disrupt daily activities since it inhibits mobility. If you experience acute heel pain periodically, consult your Cure Foot doctor for a thorough diagnosis.
Heel pain can be severe and may have multiple causes. It is one of the most common in patients with foot pain. The heel of the foot handles the most pressure when a person walks or runs, and therefore is very susceptible to wear and tears.
Other than walking, certain ailments such as neurological problems or arthritis also affect the heel.
Plantar Fasciitis is the most common Foot Ailment in India
If your pain is in your heel, you may have plantar fasciitis. That’s an irritation or inflammation of the band of tough tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes. Usually, it hurts the worst in the morning when you’re getting out of bed. You can feel it in your heel or in your arch.
The plantar fascia is a broad band of tissue that is present at the bottom surface of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes of the foot. It helps in maintaining the arch of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of this ligament due to excessive stretching, resulting in arch pain & heel pain.
WHAT CAUSES PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
When the plantar fascia gets stretched it results in inflammation at its insertion in the heel and hence we have heel pain
The pain is most common in the morning when we take the first few steps or after getting up from a period of rest, say after a meeting
This happens because the plantar fascia during the period of rest goes back to its original contracted position and once a person starts walking it gets stretched again resulting in pain
Plantar fasciitis is commonly seen in:
Over pronation /Flat Feet: This is the most common cause. The arch collapses upon weight-bearing, resulting in the plantar fascia getting stretched at the heel
Overuse & incorrect footwear: People who overuse their feet due to long stretches of walking, standing, running or excessive exercising wearing incorrect footwear.
Obesity: Extra weight causes extra pressure on the feet, which can develop into plantar fasciitis.
High arched feet: This causes the plantar fascia to stretch while standing.
HOW TO HELP PREVENT AND RELIEVE PAIN FROM PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
There are some steps you can take to help prevent pain in the arch of your foot. For example:
The first step in treating Plantar fasciitis is in preventing the plantar fascia from over stretching and by offloading the heel pressure.
We also strongly recommend Cure Foot’s proprietary Arch Support insoles with deep heel cup.
Enhanced arch support works by reducing over stretching of the Plantar Fascia.
Deep heel cup works by offloading the painful part of the heel so that there is reduced pressure on the plantar fascia.
Heel pain, if caused due to overuse or strain, can be improved through rest. You should be consulting a foot doctor, however, if you have swelling, redness, difficulty in flexing the ankle joint, numbness or excessive pain while walking. It is also a good idea to see a doctor if the heel pain does not reduce after a few hours of rest and persists as a dull ache.
Based on the doctor’s diagnosis, the following treatments can be adopted for faster pain relief and recovery:
Ice packs at regular intervals on the heels to reduce inflammation and soreness.
Anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed by the doctor.
Rest at regular periods.
Light physical exercises as recommended by a physiotherapist, depending on the cause of the pain.
Use of orthotic insoles that help balance out the pressure of the feet and provide relief from chronic heel pain.
Properly fitted shoes that support your weight and helps you fulfil your daily activities.
Weight management.
Heel splints.
Surgery (in case of severe conditions causing heel pain that cannot be cured by any other means)
Irrespective of the cause, if you suffer from heel pain, make sure your feet get adequate rest, since that will provide relief and stop the pain from getting worse.
Take care of you and your foot.
You must be logged in to post a comment.