Heel Pain: Four Simple Remedies to Reduce the Pain
posted: May 01, 2020.
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If stepping down on your heel while standing or walking causes you pain, you may have heel pain. Heel pain can be nagging at best and incapacitating at worst. Unless you have an injury, heel pain rarely sets in at once.
It starts slow but, if left untreated, can escalate into a much more severe and difficult-to-treat condition. If you start feeling some pain in your heel when you stand for long or immediately after you wake up and stand, these could be signs of heel pain.
What causes heel pain?
Heel pain is most often caused by plantar fasciitis. When you have it, you’ll experience a sharp piercing pain under your foot towards the heel whenever you stand. Plantar fasciitis is a type of mild injury affecting the facia of your foot.
Fascia is the thin sheet of fibrous tissue that covers the muscles of your feet. When this tissue gets injured through overuse, excessive weight, or age, it results in plantar fasciitis pain.
Severe cases may require medical or surgical treatments. Here are some simple home remedies that can help with mild plantar fasciitis:
1. A Frozen Water Bottle
Grab a frozen water bottle, put it on the floor, and roll your foot over it a couple of times. This remedy helps in two ways. First, the cold numbs the pain, helping reduce the discomfort of heel pain. Second, rolling your foot over the bottle stretches your foot fascia, reducing tension that may contribute to heel pain. For best results, do this for ten minutes three times a day.
2. Foot Splints
A splint helps keep your foot in the correct position for a period. When used at night, a brace can help stretch out the plantar fascia, reducing heel pain by the time you wake up. Splints can also be used at any other time of day, depending on whether you can stay put for a few hours. Regular use of a splint can help stretch and loosen your plantar fascia and stop heel pain altogether.
3. Orthopedic Footwear
In appropriate footwear can also cause plantar fasciitis. For many people who have heel pain, a flat shoe is often the culprit. When you walk on a flat heel for long, your heel becomes strained, causing the fascia in your foot to stretch. Switching to a more supportive heeled shoe can reduce the strain on your heel and lessen heel pain.
4. Stretching and Rest
Prolonged standing or walking for long stretches can cause or worsen heel pain. If you experience pain after a long day at work, some rest and light stretches could do you good. Soak your feet in warm water for half an hour, then do some light stretches by twisting your foot and turning it round and round. Lastly, take a load off your feet, put your feet up, and take a good old-fashioned rest.
When to see a foot specialist
These home remedies are effective for mild, short-term heel pain. If these remedies do not work, seek help. Talk to your podiatrist if the pain worsens, and you are finding it difficult to walk.