Do you get heel pain when first getting out of bed in the morning? You know, that tight stabbing pain right under the heel? Are you tired of suffering through those first painful steps to start your day? We know exactly what you are talking about and we are here to help you!
If you are experiencing these or similar symptoms you may be suffering from plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a thick band that runs from the base of the heel to the forefoot, and functions to maintain the arches of your feet. When this structure becomes overstretched it can tear and becomes inflamed and really really painful – not that we have to tell you that. It is important to address your heel pain because if it isn’t managed properly, it has the potential to become long term injuries which take a very long time to get better.
Common factors which may contribute to the onset of plantar fasciitis include:
- Flat feet and biomechanics
- Footwear
- Occupation
- Exercise (type of activity and regime)
- Age
- Weight
A good starting point to relieving some of your heel pain is regular icing and massage of the plantar fascia. This management strategy is great because you can do these separately or together, it is just that easy!
Let’s start with separately. Performing some massage at the area using a tennis or massage ball to achieve a gentle stretch to the plantar fascia will reduce tension through the structure. With this massage the aim is to begin at your heel, as this area should be your focus, and progress down towards your forefoot and back again. Following your massage, icing the area is a great way to keep any inflammation at bay. Ideally both management options should be performed twice daily for 10 minutes each.
Let’s talk about icing and massage together, a great alternative to performing your icing and massaging separately is to use a frozen iced water bottle in substitute for a tennis or massage ball. For this we recommend a 600ml style bottle as this contours well to the arch of the foot giving you the best contact through your arch. Another handy tip is to place a towel underneath the bottle to save the bottle from slipping and getting a wet floor, and you can really get in there and give the area a great massage. It is important to note that if you choose to use ice bottle massage keep your foot moving so as to avoid any nasty ice burn on the skin.
If you want to take your management at home to the next level, dynamic stretching and strapping of your foot are the next steps towards tackling your heel pain. By following the link provided (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FU2_1e5u2I) you will find a very informative clip presented to you by Amy about how to perform this stretching and apply this strapping yourself.
By following these treatment options to the letter, the same ones we use on our patients in the clinic, we get exceptional results. All the work is done for you. You just have to follow the instructions.
This will be working well for you, we have no doubt about that. But if you would like to fast track the resolution of your heel pain and get to the very bottom of the biomechanical issues causing your heel pain and stop it coming back for good – call the clinic for an expert assessment. Ask to speak to one of our amazing experienced podiatrists and they will personally attend to your enquiry.