PodiatryFootHealth Newsletter
Heel Pain
Heel pain is one of the most common conditions experienced by people today. It is commonly experienced by males between 40 and 60, and the pain appears gradually.
Pain in the heels is due to an overstretch of a tissue that helps support the arch. It attaches at the heel and constant strain creates injury. This can occur due to poor footwear, flattening of the arch, being overweight, tight calf muscles and increased activity.
Sufferers are likely to experience pain worst in the mornings, after taking the first few steps out of bed. As the injured person walks it begins to feel easier to walk. THIS REDUCTION IN PAIN DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE GETTING BETTER.
Treatment: How YOU can manage the condition
ICE massage
Fill a plastic bottle with water and freeze. Roll this back and forth over the tender region every hour at the end of the day. This can be done more frequently if you have time
Calf stretching
These should be performed regularly. Perform both the straight leg and bent knee calf stretches as demonstrated. Perform these on one leg at a time. These must be held for 10-20 seconds.Supportive footwear
Whilst it may feel great to kick off your shoes and go barefoot or wear slippers – don’t do this! Try to keep in supportive footwear as often as you can– athletic shoes are usually best.
If previous treatment has not worked cortisone injections may be used to provide some relief for pain. These injections work to imitate the cortisone that is produced by your body, but in larger quantities to an exact area. The cortisone works to decrease the inflammation at the site, which in turn relieves the pain felt. However there is a limit to the number of injections you can have, as multiple injections may weaken the tissue. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is an alternative option to this therapy that is non-invasive. This treatment applies low energy pulses to a specific area. Three treatments are usually recommended. It can be mildly painful, as the pulses create mild trauma to the injured area, which allows a healing response the body has been unable to initiate to begin.