 |
|
|
|
Men's Health | Women's Health | Children's Health | Elder Health Holistic Health | Healthy Heart | Cancer | Weight Loss Exercise & Fitness | Healthy Resources | HOME PAGE Health Club 101 DIRECT Natural Supplements | HGH Energizer | Eazol Natural Pain Relief | Revitol Cellulite Solution IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome | Menopause Symptoms Relief | Insomnia Sleeping Aid Articles & Information Medicine | Nutrition | Exercise | Fitness Equipment | Pregnancy Bodybuilding Supplements | Weight Loss | Breast Cancer | Diabetes Category Site Map |
 |
Fifteen Ways to Fight Heel Pain
There are many different causes of heel pain, but the most common cause is plantar fasciitis (plan * tar fash* ee * I * tis). If you experience a sharp pain in your heel when you first step down in the morning, it is most likely due to plantar fasciitis. This problem is a result of excess stress through a long ligament type structure (the plantar fascia) in the bottom of the foot. The excess stress causes tearing and results in inflammation and pain. The classic symptoms are pain in the heel at the first step in the morning, or upon rising after long periods of rest. Many will complain of a sharp pain in the heel when they step out of their car or after finishing their lunch break. Other individuals only experience heel pain at the end of the day or during certain types of activity like running, soccer or tennis. The pain may extend into the arch and feel achy at the end of the day. Individuals develop plantar fasciitis for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons for the development of plantar fasciitis is wearing poor quality or worn out shoes. Another common reason is starting a new activity, such as walking or running, after a period of inactivity. Many active individuals develop plantar fasciitis after incorporating hills, stairs or uneven terrain into their training routine. A new job that requires standing all day or switching to a job with a harder surface, like cement floors, may contribute to it's development. Individuals with flatfeet or excess pronation (rolling in of the feet) may have a natural predisposition for plantar fasciitis. Regardless of how the problem started, the treatment is aimed at decreasing the stress on the arch and decreasing the inflammation. 1. Identify the cause: There is usually a reason for the development of plantar fasciitis, but since the condition is not typically associated with an acute injury it may be hard to remember. The pain may have gradually developed after starting a new training routine, changing the routine, running or walking on a new surface, switching shoes, wearing worn out shoes or starting a new job. Once the cause is identified, stop the activity or modify it. 2. Avoid aggravating activities: Going up and down stairs, walking or running on hills, squating, lifting heavy items and walking on uneven terrain all aggravate this condition. Try to decrease these by limiting the number of times you go up and down the stairs and avoiding hills. If you must squat down, keep the affected foot in front and flat on the ground. Do not lift or carry heavy items including your kids. Use a stroller or have your spouse, significant other or friend carry them. 3. Stop running or walking: Aerobic activity is important to maintain and cross training can help. Try biking or swimming. Most walkers hate the stationary bike at the gym, but remember this isn't forever. Don't drop your heel when you bike and try to avoid standing and hills if you cycle outdoors. If you participate in spin classes, you may need to modify the class to avoid further injury to the foot. The recumbent stationary bike may place excess stress through the arch because of the position. The classic stationary bike is more appropriate. 4. Use an ice massage: Freeze a sports water bottle or a juice can and place it on the floor. Roll your foot over the water bottle for at least 20 minutes twice a day. This helps decrease the inflammation in the foot while stretching out the arch. 5. Use a contrast bath: Icing helps decrease inflammation occurring within a 48-72 hour period. To help decrease chronic inflammation, try contrasting between ice and heat. Start with an ice pack on the heel and/or arch for 5 minutes. Switch to a heating pack or a hot water bath for 5 minutes. Alternate between the two for 20- 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. This may be more time consuming than the ice pack alone, but can bring considerable relief. 6. Roll a ball under your foot: Take a tennis ball, soft ball or even a rolling pin and roll your foot over it to help stretch out the plantar fascia. This can be done while watching TV or reading the paper. Rolling the foot over the tennis ball can also be done at work if you have a desk job or during a lunch break. (This should not cause pain. Don't continue if you have pain). 7. Stretch your calf in the morning: If you have pain in the morning upon waking, place a towel or a belt on your dresser. Before you get out of bed, wrap the towel or belt around the ball of your foot. By pulling the foot towards you and keeping your leg straight, you should feel a stretch in the back of the calf. This will also stretch the bottom of the foot. This is not time consuming or difficult to do, but it does require adjusting to a new routine. 8. Stretch your calf throughout the day: Spend about 5-10 minutes each evening stretching the calf as described above or with the runner's stretch. To really help keep the calf and the bottom of the foot stretched out, try and stretch for 30 seconds, 10 times a day. 9. Take anti-inflammatory medications: Anti-inflammatory medications, like naproxen or ibuprofen, will help decrease the inflammation that occurs in the fascia as a result of the tearing. You don't want to mask the pain with these medications. If you decrease the pain with the anti-inflammatory medications but continue to participate in an activity which causes tearing and inflammation of the plantar fascia, you are not healing. Continue resting, icing and stretching while you take the medications. Take the medication with food and stop taking the medication if you experience stomach discomfort. 10. Lose Weight: This is probably the last thing you wanted to hear. In fact, there is a good chance that you have gained some weight since the onset of your heel pain due to a decrease in activity. But, there is no way around the fact that increased weight on the body transmits to the feet. Increasing the stress on the plantar fascia can worsen plantar fasciitis, making it more difficult to treat. Eat smart and try to incorporate aerobic activity which decreases the impact on the feet. 11. Wear supportive shoes: This step may seem logical, but most individuals don't realize how many shoes lack support. A supportive shoe will only bend at the toes. Test all of your shoes and don't assume your running shoe is a supportive shoe. Take your shoe and flip it over. Grab the toe area and the heel and try to fold the shoe. If the shoe bends in half, then the shoe is not supportive. Don't go barefoot. Get up in the morning, do your stretch and then slip your feet in a supportive slipper or clog. See the American Podiatric Medical Association's (APMA) list of approved shoes at www.apma.org/ seal/sealaccategory.html. 12. Try anti-fatigue mats: These mats help to decrease the stress through the heel and add some shock absorption to the floor. The mats can be a great asset for employees who work on a hard surface. You may want to consider them for home if you spend many hours standing in a workshop or in the kitchen. See the APMA's list of approved anti-fatigue mats at www.apma.org/ seal/sealaccategory.html. 13. Strengthen the muscles in your feet: Place a thin towel on your kitchen floor. Place your foot over the base of the towel closest to you. Bring the towel towards you by curling the toes and gripping the towel as it slides under your foot. Place marbles on the floor and pick them up one by one with your toes and place them in a bowl. 14. Wear orthotics: Prefabricated orthotics are semi-rigid inserts that fit into the shoe to help control motion in your feet. Controlling abnormal motion in the feet can decrease the stress in the plantar fascia. Soft inserts available at the drug store may be comfortable, but they will not help control abnormal motion. 15. Try a night splint: A night splint holds the foot at 90 degrees while you sleep. This keeps the foot and the calf stretched out all night long. Night splints are an effective treatment, but can be quite uncomfortable. Some individuals have more luck with the sock night splints than with the rigid splints. These devices are available online, but may be covered by your insurance when dispensed by your doctor. If your symptoms persist, see a podiatrist. Christine Dobrowolski is a podiatrist and the author of Those Aching Feet: Your Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Foot Problems. To learn more about Dr. Dobrowolski and her book visit http://www.skipublishing.com/ .
MORE RESOURCES:
Men's Health
|
Women's
Health |
Children's
Health |
Elder
Health
Medicine - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Pain Factor Last year I told an acquaintance that at the age of 46, I had taken up running. The reply was, "Oh, that's awfully hard on your knees. The Ease of Using a Motorized Wheelchair to Improve Mobility No person likes to feel housebound and dependent on others. While people who have been injured or suffering from a debilitating disease may not have full functionality of their motor skills, it is still possible for them to be semi-independent and mobile with motorized wheelchairs and other home medical equipment. Over The Counter Drugs: How To Safely Choose The Right Medication What Medication Can Cure Me?1. Am I expecting a cure? Some medications relieve symptoms - that is, they stop the itching, pain, redness, etc - but do not actually get to the source of the illness. A Closer Look at Lower Back Pain Relief As many as 8 out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime, and most of them will feel it in their lower back. When we consider that our lower back bears the brunt of our body weight, and that our back is made up of many vertebrae, a few discs to absorb shock, several major nerves and joints that allow for movement of the spine, stacked on top of each other, this statistic begins to make more sense. Resperate or RESPeRATE - this device controls blood pressure however you spell it! Resperate is natural and powerful and it puts you in control of your blood pressure.Resperate is a new device and is revolutionising the nature of blood pressure treatment. Rheumatoid Arthritis : the time bomb The beginning is very much hard to spot as we migh just wake up in the morning and feel that the fingers on our hand do not function as they should. A little of bit of movement and everything is fine. FDA Orders Search Engines to Stop Online Pharmacies How Does Online Pharmacies Affect Pharmacy Leaders?With cheaper drugs made available online, big pharmacy companies are losing control of their monopolistic control over the pharmacy industry. They are not able to compete with these online pharmacies with their exorbitant drug prices. Potassium and The Dialysis Patient Any dialysis patient who has had a brush with high potassium will know only too well how dangerous this can be. We are forever being told to watch our potassium intake, so I thought I would explore the reasons for this, and what practical steps we can take to limit the risks. NIH Official Altered Drug Study NIH Official Altered Drug StudyDr. Edmund Tramont, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Division of AIDS, altered the conclusions from a safety report on pregnant women taking the drug nevirapine in order to cover up its negative side effects. Protect Yourself Against the Flu Vaccine! The vaccine industry insists that their vaccines against the flu serve as the key to a healthy winter. Although there has not been a serious flu epidemic for 38 years, their vaccines are prescribed to millions of people each year. Stopping Hospital Infections Each year hospitals end up killing twice as many people than automobiles, some 90,000 deaths in the United States. It is not from malpractice, it is due to infections. Online Pharmacies Are Becoming Increasingly Popular Due To Their Convenience And Discreetness Leading online pharmacy companies are providing consumer with a secure, safe, convenient, and discreet way to acquire prescriptions.People in need of prescriptions are turning to the internet for an alternative to the corner drug store. Top Ten Things You Should Know About Contact Lenses 1. Soft lenses are perceived by most patients and practitioners alike to be more immediately comfortable while adequately correcting vision. Thimerosal: Autism and Mercury Poisoning Side Effects? Thimerosal is a preservative that is added to vaccines (has been since the 1930s) that is almost half (49.6% by weight) mercury. The Unique Benefits of Medical Adjustable Beds With more medical advantages, an adjustable bed finds more functions in a hospital or a nursing home. It provides relief to people who are bed-ridden or those who have to stay in bed for long hours and can be adjusted either manually or electrically. Bextra, Some Facts To Consider For those who take Bextra, there are many warnings out that are telling people to stop. It is wise to do this and to do it right away. Antibiotics 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know IntroductionAntibiotics are said to be the greatest contribution of modern day science helping the doctors to think beyond microorganinsms.their importance is felt much more in developing countries where the infections are prevalent. Orthotics: Prefab or Custom-Made? If you take a simple stroll down the foot product isle at your local drug store you will find an array of foot products and inserts. You will find inserts for cushion, for comfort, for support and for control. Chronic Headaches and Pain Often Can Be Eliminated By A Special Dentist DENVER - Sometimes as Freud once said a good cigar is just a smoke. A headache, on the other hand, occasionally can be a sign of something much more serious than just a headache. Arizona Drug Rehab: Finding Help in Arizona The state of Arizona has one of the worst drug problems in the United States. Historically and currently, the state is known as a transhipment location for a variety of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and marijuana, which are imported from other countries.
|
|
home | site map Men's Health | Women's Health | Children's Health | Elder Health Holistic Health | Healthy Heart | Cancer | Weight Loss Exercise & Fitness | Healthy Resources |
|
|
